


Libérée, Délivrée

by Queen_B



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Crossover, Drelsa, F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Romance, Swearing, Weekly Updates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:09:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 182,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24038662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_B/pseuds/Queen_B
Summary: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Or in Elsa's case, with a letter.
Relationships: Elsa (Disney)/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 11
Kudos: 65





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, this is one of those Elsa goes to Hogwarts stories. Don't like, don't read :)
> 
> This is updated once a week. 
> 
> Big thanks to Anim3Fan4Ever for beta-ing, any errors left are mine.

* * *

Crown princess Elsa sighed, watching from her place by the window sill. 

Her younger sister Anna was playing in the royal garden below, alone, aside from a maid following her around as the young princess chased some ducklings by the pond.

Elsa traced the wooden frame of her window, wishing she could join her sibling. Three years ago, it had been completely different. They've been doing everything together, they've been practically inseparable.

However, one night the tiny strawberry blonde persuaded her older sister to play with her in their big ballroom.

What nobody aside from the close royal family knew, was that the crown princess had powers no one could've imagined. She had control over ice and snow.

With a flick of her hand she could create a snowman out of thin air, a tap of her foot could freeze the whole floor, and fill a huge ballroom with snow to play in it.

Back when she was eight, that was enough to satisfy her and her five-year-old sister's need for fun.

It was not unusual for them to have snowball fights in the middle of July, for example. Of course only within the safety of the castle's walls.

For the rest of the small kingdom, however, it would've been quite a big deal. Elsa could've been in danger, if the village would panic out of fright of the unknown.

That's why the king and queen had decided to hide their children away. To protect them from prying eyes, to keep the village from freaking out.

That one fateful night the royal couple was convinced that they did the right thing.

Elsa and Anna were playing in the ballroom, everything covered in snow as usual during their playtimes. They were ice-skating, building snow figures, having snowball fights. Everything their little hearts desired.

Little Anna was giddily jumping around on random hills, shouting at Elsa to catch her with more snow.

Her sister was eager to comply, giggling as she created bigger hills, hurrying to keep up with the pace of the smaller girl.

“Anna, wait, you're going too fast!”

The five-year-old laughed and kept jumping. “Catch me!”

In her hurry, Elsa slipped on a patch of ice. Panicking to catch Anna's next jump, her next shot of magic ice hit her sister's head instead of the snow.

The eight-year-old screamed in panic when the other girl dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes.

“Anna!”

Anna didn't move. A single strand of her hair turned completely white, her skin deathly pale and her lips blue.

Alerted by Elsa's scream, the king and queen entered the ball room. Their older daughter tried to explain the situation. There was fright in the royal couple's eyes, for the life of Anna. And perhaps they were also afraid of how dangerous Elsa's powers could be.

Fortunately the king knew a solution, that would hopefully save the life of their younger daughter. The family of four made their way up the mountains, to a group of small trolls that consisted of rocks.

They were able to save Anna, and advised to erase her memories of Elsa's powers, to protect her.

Despite saying that her powers would get stronger and stronger, they also told her that she shouldn't be scared. That fear was her greatest enemy and could make her powers quite dangerous.

Thinking the power itself was the danger, the king swore to protect his daughters, both of them, by shutting the whole world out. Or rather, shut his children in.

The royal staff was reduced to two loyal servants, Kai and Gerda. The main gates were locked constantly, along with the blinds of the windows facing the village.

For extra protection, the king locked Elsa in her own room and gave her a pair of gloves, to keep the powers at bay.

However, Elsa didn't want to shove away her powers. She knew that if they got more powerful, she needed to train them instead of just hoping for the best. The trolls had told her that being afraid of her own powers wasn't good, after all.

Since the king wouldn't let himself to be convinced otherwise and forbade her to interact with Anna to prevent a repeat of the incident, Elsa pretended to bend to his wishes and trained in secret.

It hurt to have to send her sister away when she would come and ask to play again, but the newfound amount of time to herself proved to be useful for her power's development.

She could make it snow in specific places in her room if she concentrated enough, learned to create toys and animals and other shapes with her ice.

She knew she had full control of her powers, now, three years after the accident. However, whenever she tried to tell her parents that, her father blocked her off, using the excuse of just trying to keep her safe.

They wouldn't allow her to even really talk to Anna, so the sisters did so in secret, at night.

Anna would sneak to sit in front of Elsa's locked door, while Elsa sat on the other side of it. They'd talk and make fun, but couldn't play or interact any other way.

Even though it pained Elsa, she knew it was better to keep Anna in the dark about her powers for the time-being. Just in case it could do things to her sister's psyche, maybe even trigger something that would make her comatose again.

The trolls would've had their reasons to erase Anna's memories of her powers.

Still, she knew she could hide her powers if needed, so she didn't understand why she couldn't go outside and play with Anna again. She didn't get why her parents wouldn't give her a chance to prove herself.

It was frustrating on so many levels.

The now eleven-year-old moved to her bed, smiling weakly as she let it snow in her large bedroom, the thick flakes dancing beautifully in front of her eyes.

Her parents have been acting strange in general since the accident. They shut Elsa out, especially her questions about her powers. There had to be a reason she had them, but the only answer she got that she was born with them.

Elsa once had asked about her appearance too, since she looked quite different from the royal couple.

While the queen had dark brown hair, the king had the same strawberry blonde shade as Anna. She could see the similarity between  _them_ .

There was no answer to that aside from _“That's just how it is sometimes.”_ , which wasn't satisfying Elsa's curiosity at all.

Also, her recent dreams were not helping that hopeless curiosity.

They consisted of her being trapped in a baby's body, laying in a crib and reaching for a woman with light blonde hair that was definitely not her mother, the Queen of Arendelle.

Another sigh escaped the young princess' lips as she rolled to the side, playing the the fabric of her comforter, damp from the melting snow.

She frowned at the wet patches. The woman from her dreams wouldn't leave her mind.

Maybe she's been a servant back then when she's been a baby? That would be the only logical explanation.

Elsa must've dozen off, because the next thing she knew was awakening at night to tapping sounds coming from her window.

Puzzled, she rubbed her eyes as she got up to investigate the sound.

A light brown owl was continuously tapping her beak on the glass. Elsa didn't know what to think at first. Why would an owl try to get inside a building? Her room, especially?

Elsa lit two candles by her desk and finally realized that the owl had a letter with her.

Curious, she opened the window. The bird flew inside, let an envelope fall to her bed and landed on the desk, sitting comfortably and observing the princess.

The blonde frowned as she took the envelope.

_Crown princess Elsa of Arendelle_

_Second floor, third bedroom to the left_

_Royal Palace of Arendelle_

A gasp escaped her lips as she saw the address. Who sent this letter? Nobody outside of the castle knew where exactly her room was. And how did this person train an owl to bring the letter to her room specifically?

_Why_ did she even get a letter? She had no relatives who would write to her, and the village only knew her as a baby before she started showing her powers according to her parents.

Trembling, she turned the envelope around to break the seal and open the letter.

_Dear Princess Elsa,_

_we're pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl no later than 31 July._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress_

Elsa re-read the letter a few more times, also taking a short look at the attached shopping list, consisting of a cauldron, a wand, and so on.

A school for witches and wizards? Who was this McGonagall person? How did they know about her powers? The princess couldn't believe this could be real. But... what if it was?

The idea of more magical people, that Elsa wasn't alone with her fate, it was tempting. She didn't need a school to help her control her powers, as she had already mastered that feat, but the thought of meeting others like her was really exciting.

However, as the crown princess she couldn't just go and try to find a place she didn't even have directions to. That maybe even didn't exist. It could be a trap, after all.

An ill-meaning person could try to kidnap her, to use her against her parents, for example.

What if it was real, after all? Would her parents let her go? Probably not, she concluded.

With how closed off they were, she'd be surprised if they would even hear her out. Maybe they'd just declare her insane and have her locked away in one of the asylums she's read about. No, that wouldn't be worth it.

She needed to make sure this was real first. Then she could make a plan of action. Didn't that Lady McGonagall write that they'd be waiting for a response? Perfect chance to ask for evidence.

Grabbing a quill and a piece of parchment, Elsa sat down at her desk and started the reply, trying to sound as sophisticated as she could.

_Dear Deputy Headmistress,_

_I was surprised to receive a letter of a school for witchcraft and wizardry. I'm sure you'll understand my suspicion. How can I be sure this is not a trick? As a princess, there are many foes that try to assassinate me in order to get to the King and Queen of Arendelle. I hope you understand that I need evidence that you are speaking the truth. I would like to visit your school. However, without any evidence, I have to assume that this is a bad joke and stay where I am. I hope you understand._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Crown Princess Elsa of Arendelle_

Satisfied with the letter, she put it in an envelope and carefully tied it to the owl's foot.

Stroking her feathers with one finger, she spoke to her, hoping she'd understand.

“Could you take that to the Deputy Headmistress?”

The owl hooted, before flapping her wings and starting out the window.

Figuring it would take a while for the letter to reach this McGonagall and probably even longer to get a reply – _if_ she got a reply – Elsa sat back on her bed, deep in thought as she stared at the open window.

It was no use thinking about the “maybes”. If she got a reply, Elsa could think about the next step.

If she decided to tell her parents in the end, she'd find a way to persuade them somehow.

**xxx**

Three days passed without a response from the mysterious lady, and Elsa began to think it had been a dream, after all.

Of course, being caged inside her own room for so long would make her crazy, she figured.

So she concentrated on fulfilling the duties her parents gave her. Specifically her training to become the queen.

One would think eleven years was too early to start with such a heavy topic, but in the eyes of the royal couple it was necessary so she'd be prepared in case of their possible early death.

With them barely leaving their heavily guarded castle it wasn't likely, still it was _something_ to do instead of just sitting around all day.

The dry content of the numerous books about etiquette and lady-like behavior weighed heavily on Elsa's mind, so she was quite relieved to have a distraction from it as there was a knock on her door.

“Come in.”

The queen entered her daughter's bedroom, a smile meeting Elsa's.

“How are you, honey?”

“I'm fine. Just a little... bored.” Elsa's eyes lowered to the book in her lap, playing with the silken string posing as bookmark.

“Have you finished your book already?”

“No. It's a little heavy to read in one go.”

The brunette sighed and put a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

“I know it's hard, Elsa. It would be easier to learn by doing, having someone show you instead of reading it. And having other people to interact with.” She squeezed the shoulder with a sympathetic smile.

“But you know we can't let anyone in. Nobody can know about your powers.”

“Mother, I won't use my powers when others are around. I really don't think these safety precautions are necessary...”

“You heard the trolls. Your powers are growing stronger, and your father and I don't want a repeat of the incident with Anna.”

“That was an accident, I slipped, it had nothing to do with my powers being too strong or getting out of control.”

“Elsa, we've been over this. You know your father's wishes and I want you to respect them.”

When the child didn't reply, the queen retracted her hand and tapped the book instead.

“Please read the book. Ring the bell if you need anything.”

With that the queen left the room and the lock was turned again.

Elsa let her head fall back against the cushioned armchair, glaring at the dark wooden ceiling. She loved her parents, she really did, but sometimes...

Why wouldn't they just _listen_ to her? It was like every single thing she said was blocked off without a single thought. Just because of an accident that happened three years ago.

Just as she was about to go back to reading, a tapping sound caught her attention. She gasped when she saw it was the brown owl again.

Moroseness forgotten, she discarded her book and hurried to let the bird in.

This time she let the letter fall on her bed again, along with a small package.

Frowning at the extra, Elsa sat on the mattress and picked up the envelope first.

_Dear Princess Elsa,_

_I was informed that you requested proof of the existence of magic. Of course I understand that you, as the crown princess, need to make sure you are safe. I, Headmaster of Hogwarts, will show you that magic is real indeed. Just take a look at the small present our owl brought. I'm sure that it is proof enough, and since I heard you like chocolate, I am sure you will approve doubly. I will be glad to meet you at September 1 at Hogwarts._

_Yours sincerely_

_Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore_

_Headmaster of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry_

With thumping heart, she lowered the letter and glanced at the package. The headmaster himself wrote that? And even sent her proof?

Anxiously she bit her lip, reaching for the present. Her shaking fingers worked on opening the wrapping, revealing a royal blue box.

Having expected a wild show of magic Elsa was quite disappointed. She opened the box, a surprised yell escaping her as a dark brown frog jumped out of it.

When it made for the open window, she froze it to make it immobile.

A knock on her door made her jump.

“Elsa? Is everything okay?” The king.

Elsa quickly grabbed the frozen frog and shoved it under her pillows, along with the letter and the rest.

“Uh, yes.”

The lock turned and with wide eyes Elsa hurried to shoo the owl outside, closing the window behind her just as her door opened.

She twirled around to grin at her father, hoping to appear as innocent as possible.

“Good afternoon, father.”

“I heard you scream. Are you alright?”

“Yes, of course. I just thought I saw a giant spider, but it was just a shadow.”

The king let out a relieved breath. “Thank God, I thought your powers got out of control again.” He frowned at her hands.

“Why aren't you wearing your gloves?”

Elsa glanced at the gloves on her desk and shrugged.

“I didn't think I'd need them for reading.” She bit her lip. “I can't properly turn the pages with them on.”

That last part seemed to do the trick, as the king gave a short nod.

“Fine, but if you're done with studying for the day I want you to put them on again.”

“Yes, father.”

There was a fond smile on the king's face as he left the room.

The young girl wiped some imaginary sweat off her brow before carefully approaching her bed once more. Biting her lip again, she removed the pillow to examine the frog.

Didn't the headmaster say something about chocolate? Since the box was empty otherwise, was the frog made of chocolate?

The color sure fit. But... it was alive. She could never eat something that was alive, chocolate or not.

Elsa experimentally thawed one of the legs, watching it twitch and move wildly. She couldn't help the grin starting to tug the corners of her mouth upwards. Thawing the whole frog, she watched it jump around wildly in her room.

She grabbed the blue box again to see if there was any more information, and found a picture of an old man on it instead.

The princess blinked in surprise when the man winked at her. Did this really just happen? He definitely didn't repeat it when she observed him closer.

The thumping from the frog stopped, making Elsa look for the chocolate animal. It was laying motionless on her carpet.

Finding herself unable to eat it, she threw it in her waste bin, covering it with crumpled parchment.

Taking the box again she gasped when she saw the man had vanished. The name under the now black picture spelled ' _Albus Dumbledore_ '. So the old man was the headmaster? But why was his picture in that box, and most importantly, how had it vanished all of a sudden?

Elsa couldn't help but giggle in disbelief and excitement. It really was magic! Different from her magic, sure, but who says there's only one kind of magic?

It was real, the school for wizards and witches really existed!

**xxx**

About two weeks before school would start, Elsa had her things packed and hidden under her bed. She had debated whether to tell her parents about the letter and the school, but in the end she's decided against it.

They wouldn't believe her, or if they did, they wouldn't let her go. So she decided to relieve them of the burden that was herself and just run away.

Elsa just couldn't let the chance slip to find others like her because of her parents' insecurity.

Of course it could be a trap, but she didn't care. She wanted to find out for sure, and would definitely grab the chance for a little freedom. She had no idea if she could manage being on her own, however, it was a risk she was willing to take if it meant finding people that would understand her.

After her parents had bade her goodnight, Elsa waited by her door until she heard the soft padding of bare feet as Anna made her way to her.

“Anna?”

“Yeah it's me.” Her sweet voice rang out. “How was your day?”

“Listen, Anna, I need you to do me a favor.”

The little girl frowned and strained to look through the keyhole.

“What do you need?”

“I'm going to leave. I got an invitation for... for some sort of boarding school. But mother and father won't let me go. So I'm sneaking out the window.”

Anna gasped. “But Elsa! You can't just leave!”

“I can't stay either. It's like a prison in here...” she sighed, “And there's more. I have a letter for you that explains everything.”

The younger was quiet for a few moments. “Will you come back...?”

Elsa smiled and rested her forehead against the wooden surface.

“If the school is real I will try to come back when the year is over. Well, if mother and father don't throw me out for running away.”

“What do you mean 'if the school is real'? Mom and dad wouldn't just throw you out.”

“Look, just read the letter. And don't show it to them, it's just for you. The thing is, I need a backup-plan in case this is dangerous. I will try to write to you as soon as I arrive, but if you don't hear from me after three weeks, you have to tell our parents that I'm somewhere in London.”

“London? But that's so far away!”

“Anna, please. This is really important for me.”

The younger girl sighed. “I don't want you to leave...”

“I'm wilting in here, little sister. I have to go and be my true self.”

Anna was quiet for a few moments. “...Promise you'll come back?”

“Pinky promise.”

Anna gave a small giggle at that. “Alright.”

Elsa pushed the envelope with Anna's letter under the door, saying goodbye a last time before quickly grabbing her bag from under the bed and climbing on the window sill.

She hesitated and looked around her room one last time, before determination settled on her face. She had to do it.

A slide of ice appeared from the window, leading over the garden and the high walls surrounding it. Without looking back she slid over it, landing on a patch of snow that cushioned her fall.

Willing the slide and snow to disappear, she started walking away from the castle.

She knew she needed to go to London. But how? She couldn't just take a rowboat and hope for the best. And walking would take forever. Maybe she just should've left as soon as she got the letter at the beginning of July.

Pondering over her possibilities, she decided to go find the only other magical beings she knew; the trolls.

It took her quite a while without a horse. Despite loving snow, she was glad it was summer, so the first part of her journey wasn't as hard. She almost got lost in the woods, as it's been three years since she's been there.

Elsa was pretty sure she actually did get lost a few times, it was quite a wonder that she even found the clearing at all, just as the trees ended and the steep part started.

The sun was already rising when she reached the place. Her parents would soon notice her absence.

There was no troll in sight, though. Were they hiding?

“Please... I need your help.” She tried, hoping the trolls would show themselves. Nothing happened.

Had she been dreaming the encounter with them? Was she going mental for real?

The adrenaline was wearing off, and she let herself fall heavily on one of the moss-covered rocks, trying to keep it together.

What was she supposed to do now? She had no idea how to get to London. If she went by foot, she'd arrive ages after school would start. And soon her parents would notice her gone, so sneaking on a ship was beyond impossible if they started looking for her.

Was this the end of her journey? To go back to her lonely room and rot there?

“Hey! Get off of my family!”

Elsa's head snapped up at the unfamiliar voice to see a young blond boy running up to her.

He was around her age, maybe a year younger. He came to a stop right in front of her, appearing to be mad.

“You're sitting on my brother!” A small reindeer tried to push Elsa off in vain.

Surprised, Elsa got up and watched the boy hug the rock and the reindeer licking it. Had the younger lost his mind?

“Um. Excuse me, your brother?”

“Yeah, my brother. You can't just sit on him, he has back problems.”

Elsa blinked and started to move backwards, thinking the guy was indeed crazy.

“Wait, you can't just walk back! There are wolves!”

She tilted her head. “I didn't encounter any wolves on my way up here...”

The blond boy scratched his head. “Weird. Maybe they're hunting on the other side of the forest... Anyways, what did you want up here anyways in the middle of the night?”

“I could ask you the same question.” Elsa frowned at the boy.

“Hey, I asked first. But, never mind. I'm not mad. I told you before, this is my family!”

“... Right. Well, they're just rocks.”

Elsa jumped when something cold touched her leg, pulling at the hem of her dress. She gasped at the round stone troll glaring up at her.

“We are not _just_ rocks!” The female troll frowned deeply, seeming insulted. “We are the best rocks ever. We... we _rock_!”

Despite her wildly thumping heart Elsa grinned widely.

“You're alive!”

The troll crossed her arms. “Of course I'm alive, isn't that obvious?!”

Suddenly the other rocks started moving too. More trolls appeared. An older looking female scolded the one yelling at her.

“Rocky! You can't talk like that to the princess!” Rocky wanted to protest, but was interrupted by another, bigger and older troll. He seemed to be their leader.

“Enough!” He came up to Elsa, the other trolls gathering around them, along with the blond boy and his reindeer.

He took Elsa's hand in both of his.

“Princess Elsa, what do you need our help with?”

The young blonde took a deep breath to calm herself before rummaging through her bag to retrieve the parchment.

“I received a letter. From a school for witches and wizards.”

“Ah, Hogwarts. Congratulations!” The old troll laughed and patted her hand lightly.

Elsa smiled, gathering more confidence.

“Thank you. The problem is, I don't know how to get to London and where to buy the things I need for school. Or well, how things there work in general.”

And that really was the main problem. Even if she somehow could travel to London, she wouldn't know where to go from there.

“Don't worry, dear princess, we will help you.”

“Thank you, thank you so much!”

The old troll gave orders to the others, saying something about a fire and... flooing?

They were gathering wood for a campfire, busying themselves while the eldest sat on the ground with Elsa.

Saying something about bed-time, the elder female led the blond boy and his reindeer away.

“Listen, Elsa, there's something important you need to know before you leave for the magical world.”

The blonde nodded, showing she was listening.

“Your powers are wonderful, and you can be proud to be blessed with them.”

“I am proud. I can even control them fully.” Elsa grinned, but it faded at the serious expression on the stony face.

“That's good. However, you can't let anyone know about them.”

She frowned, disappointed. “But... I thought it was a magical school? I thought they would understand, that there were more like me.”

“Some probably would understand. Most of them not. Your power is especially rare, even in the magical world. You have control over ice and snow, on top of being a witch.”

The troll patted her hand again.

“To protect yourself, you should keep your ice powers a secret. While your witch-half can be sensed, your other powers can't. Nobody will know about your powers unless you tell or show them.”

Elsa retracted her hand and wrung them together.

“What's the point of going to a magical school if I have to keep everything inside there too?”

“You can control your special powers, but the witch-part needs training too. If left untrained, they can lead to great chaos. Hogwarts will help you learning to control them.”

The blonde sighed, looking down at her hands resting in her lap. She should've known there was a downside to this whole thing.

“Alright. I guess I can live with that. But... there are other witches and wizards, right? At least I can befriend others like me in that way.”

The troll nodded, an easy smile on his stony face.

“That you can. You should, however, think about your royal roots and who you share them with.”

“I'm sorry, what?”

“There are witches and wizards who are quite... ah, old-fashioned. Some of them will judge you for being the child of normal humans, muggles, as they call them. Others could try to use you for fame and fortune.”

Elsa's mouth twisted as she frowned.

“How am I supposed to make friends when I can't tell them about myself?” The people in her books never had these problems.

“Of course it's up to you who you share your secret with. Though I'm pretty sure Albus Dumbledore would want to keep it a secret, to shield you from those trying to harm you.”

The troll sighed.

“I know it must sound hard, but I'm sure you'll find friends by just being who you are, not because of you were raised to be.”

Elsa looked up in confusion at the word choice and opened her mouth to speak, when the elder female troll interrupted them.

“The fire is ready, Grand Pabbie.” The granny smiled and patted the girl's shoulder, urging her to get up and follow them to the campfire.

“Rocky, you will join her and help.”

The little troll called Rocky rolled her eyes and started to protest, but one look from Grand Pabbie made her shut up immediately. The old troll faced Elsa again.

“Rocky is visiting Diagon Alley at least twice a month. She knows more about it than any of us.”

The elderly female smiled. “She may sound a little rough, but she's a good girl.”

Elsa nodded and returned the smile. She had no other choice but to trust them, as they were her only connection to the magical world.

Complaining under her breath, Rocky stepped right into the fire, taking some weird powder in her hand. Elsa watched with wide eyes as the troll did so. How did it not burn? Could it even burn her when she was made of stone?

“Diagon Alley!” With those words, Rocky threw the powder down, vanishing in the re-colored flames.

“H-How? Where... What happened?!” Elsa gasped, taking a step away from the fire.

“This is called flooing. It's a way of traveling in the magical world.”

“W-Wait, so I have to step _into the flames_?”

“Yes.” Grand Pabbie laughed. “But don't worry, it won't hurt. The flames are magical.”

Elsa was still hesitating, the grip on the strap of her bag tightening.

“I... I don't know...”

“Trust me, it doesn't hurt.” Pabbie waved his hand through the flames for demonstration.

“Easy for you to say, you're made of stone...” The princess gulped, taking a deep breath.

Gathering her courage, she reached out for the flames with shaking hands.

If this was her only chance to find more people like her, she had to seize it.

An unbelieving breath escaped her as she touched the flames without being burnt.

“How is this possible?”

“It's magic, Elsa. Get used to it.” He motioned to the satchel filled with the powder. “You better hurry, Rocky is quite impatient.”

Elsa took a handful of the powder, noting it felt more like sand between her fingers.

“Good. Now you stand completely in the fire.” The trolls watched her as Elsa complied. “You have to speak loud and clearly, _Diagon Alley_. Then you throw the powder into the flames and magic will do the rest.”

The girl took a deep breath and did as told, the flames instantly recoloring to green and completely engulfing her.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

The next thing she knew was landing on a dirty wooden floor in front of a fireplace.

“What took you so long? I don't have all day!”

Elsa blinked out of her stupor, barely managing to register her surroundings as Rocky entered her vision. The troll pulled on Elsa's arm to make her move.

Only moments later more and more people stepped out of the fireplace, dusting themselves off quickly as if they haven't just traveled magically.

The interior of the building wasn't quite spectacular, it was probably only used for flooing.

Elsa followed Rocky outside, amazed by the colorful cobblestone street framed by shops that looked like they came straight out of a fairy tale.

Strangely clad people were moving busily past them, some of them greeting Rocky as if knowing her for ages. None of them even questioned a tiny rock troll running around.

Elsa was by far not done examining her new surroundings when Rocky spoke up, talking in inhuman speed.

“Okay. There you get your robes, there your books, there your wand...” She rambled, boredly pointing in diverse directions.

The troll pressed a small satchel into Elsa's hand.

“Here, that's money in this world. Should be enough for your school stuff and some extra, Pabbie will send you more soon.”

“W-Wait, I can't just take the money-”

“You'll have to if you want to go to Hogwarts. You can give it back when you can earn your own galleons. Now scatter, I have stuff to do. See ya later.”

“What?! No wait, you can't just leave me...” she was already gone, “... alone.”

Clutching the money and her bag close, Elsa gulped as she tried to orientate herself. She's never been at such a lively place before, she just hoped she wouldn't be crushed by anyone.

Alright, she was a princess, she had to pull herself together now. She could buy her school equipment herself, she didn't need a troll to help her.

Biting her lip, she put the money away and rummaged through her bag for the letter from Hogwarts.

After a few minutes of futile search a horrible thought hit her.

She had given the letter to Pabbie, so he could look at it, but she had never put it back in her bag. It was still with the trolls. Meaning the shopping list was there too.

Feeling her heartbeat quicken in a starting panic, she wrung her hands together to keep calm. She had no idea what to get exactly. Well, there were a few things she knew, like... a wand for example.

One thing after the other, she decided, and made her way to where Rocky had pointed out a wand shop called Ollivander's.

She just had to stay focused. Rocky could come back. Maybe she could ask her way around. There had to be more people that were visiting Hogwarts, maybe someone could help her.

Elsa pushed the door open and entered the wand shop. At seeing the interior she was quite disappointed.

For a shop that sold magic wands, it was pretty unspectacular. No flying things, no weird knick-knacks. Just a lot of dark and dusty shelves, a wooden sales desk and a broken vase on it.

She approached the counter and jumped in surprise when a middle-aged man showed up behind it.

“Good morning, young lady. Can I help you?” He seemed friendly enough, so Elsa smiled politely and stepped closer, dropping a curtsy out of habit.

“Good morning, Sir. Yes, I would like to purchase a wand, please.”

The man smiled warmly and nodded. “Ah, your first year at Hogwarts, I guess? Well, let's see...”

He tilted his head at the girl, gauging her, before snapping his finger and vanishing between the stacks of wands and filled shelves.

To Elsa, the long boxes looked all the same. The man, however, could tell them apart it seemed.

A few short minutes later he returned with a dark blackish brown wand, with a streak of white embedded in it. To Elsa, it looked like a strand of white hair.

“Cherry wood, a core of unicorn hair. Light and elegant, just right and fitting for you.”

Elsa hesitantly took the wand, surprised at how good it felt holding it in her hand. She smiled involuntarily, waving the wand and almost dropping it when a golden light emerged from it, repairing the broken vase on the desk.

The man grinned, proud of himself. “Seems like the right choice.”

“I like it.” Elsa agreed with a smile.

After paying for the wand, Elsa left the shop and came to stand in the middle of the street. A puzzled expression on her face, she turned around, hoping to find her way somehow.

With her height it was a hard feat, as the adults blocked basically her whole view.

Since it was early morning it was not as busy as it could be, Elsa guessed, still it was enough to hinder her.

“Grab the rat! Grab the rat!”

Out of instinct Elsa looked down, just in time to see a rat running by.

Shuddering in disgust, the girl dove down to catch the rat in her hands. It wiggled wildly and tried to bite her, still she held on firmly until two red-haired boys reached her.

They looked pretty much alike, twins. Elsa guessed them to be a bit older than her.

One of them grabbed the rat and put it in a cage the other was holding. Both of them grinned at her simultaneously.

“Thanks, blondie!”

Elsa shrugged uneasily, having the urge to wash and disinfect her hands.

“Uhm, you're welcome. I have to go now. Goodbye.” Okay, new plan of action; find a bathroom to wash hands, then find Rocky to help with the shopping.

“Wait!”

“Yes?” Elsa looked up, trying to not appear too disgusted by the rodent in the cage.

“I'm Fred, and this is George.” The one on the left, Fred, introduced them.

“What's your name?”

“I'm Elsa. Listen, as much as I'd love to chat with you, I really need to wash my hands, and then I need find my friend. She just left me all alone, and I don't have my shopping list for Hogwarts.”

The twins looked at each other before turning back to me.

“Look, we're really grateful for your help.”

“Yes, that smelly rat is sadly part of our family.”

“Anyways, we can help you.”

“Our little bro is going to Hogwarts the first time too.”

“So we have a list.”

Elsa kept looking between the two boys as they spoke alternately.

“You would really help me?”

“Of course! Let's bring the little beast to mom and then we'll show you to a bathroom first.”

The princess couldn't believe her luck. That was really worth contaminating her hands with the rat.

Fred and George were quite touchy, way touchier than Elsa was used to. They linked arms with her on either side and escorted her through the crowd to some sort of bookshop.

There, a chubby red-haired women was examining a shopping list.

“Mom, we found the stinky dinky!”

“Fred, I told you not to call him that! How often do I have to-” She turned around, surprised to see the blonde with them.

“Oh, hello sweetie. Did my boys cause you trouble?”

Elsa quickly shook her head, smiling politely. “No, ma'am. They offered to help me.”

“Are you looking for your parents?”

Gears turning in Elsa's head, she bit her lip. “No... I'm an orphan. I received my letter, but I forgot it at the orphanage and I can't go back.”

The woman covered her mouth at the news and Elsa instantly felt bad for lying to her.

“Oh honey.” She hugged Elsa to her soft chest, startling the girl with that display of affection. She was a stranger, after all.

“Don't worry. We'll help you get your equipment. My other son, Ron, starts school too. We can get you the same things.”

Elsa was surprised at how willing to help this family was, without even knowing her.

“That would be really nice. Thank you, ma'am.”

“Oh my, aren't you precious, so polite!”

“What kind of orphanage was that? Royal institute of future queens?” George joked, making her almost choke on thin air.

“Uh, oh, no. Just... it's a pretty strict orphanage. That's why I can't go back. They would probably throw me out anyways.”

“We won't have that,” the woman decided, “You're coming with us. Ginny won't mind sharing her room for a few days.”

“That's a really gracious offer, ma'am, but I could never-”

“No buts, sweetie. You're staying with us.”

**xxx**

A week had passed since Elsa met Fred and George Weasley. They, along with her mother, Molly Weasley, and the rest of the family have been really nice to her.

They've helped her buy her things for school and even offered to let her stay at their house, lovingly called The Burrow.

From the outside it looked rather generic, at least to Elsa, as she was used to living in a castle.

However, on the inside it was even better than the princess had imagined a magical household being.

The dishes were doing themselves, a scarf was being knitted by two moving needles, there was a clock that showed where each of the family members was at the moment.

Their garden was quite large, and surprisingly filled with non-magical stuff, as broken washing machines and other things that could be classified as trash in the normal world.

As for the Weasleys, there were Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, a ministry worker and a housewife.

They had seven children. The oldest was Bill, who was working for London's Wizard Bank and living in Egypt, and then there was Charlie, who was in Romania working with real dragons.

In the burrow there was Percy, going to start his fifth year at Hogwarts. According to Fred and George, he was a nerd and a rat, though Elsa hadn't quite understood the implication.

Then there were the twins, loving fun and pranking their siblings, and surprisingly helpful when it came to Elsa.

It was their third year in school.

The youngest son was Ron, who would start Hogwarts this year along with Elsa. He seemed quite shy from the first glance, but after a few days he warmed up to the new house-guest.

Ginny was the only girl, and the youngest Weasley. Like the rest of her family she had red hair. She also had freckles and a petite frame, that reminded Elsa much of her own little sister back in Arendelle.

Right after the first night there, Elsa had written a letter to Anna to assure her she was alright. She didn't think Anna would reply, as she was distracted quite easily and despised having to concentrate on writing properly.

Percy had introduced her to the magical school beforehand, finally having found a receptive audience for his wise-cracking.

He told her about the four houses. The whole Weasley family was in Gryffindor so far, and it wasn't likely that would change.

They were pretty proud of that, as Gryffindor was said to be for the brave ones, like the lion on their red and gold emblem.

Nobody wanted to land in Slytherin, the house of the snakes and – apparently – evil witches and wizards. Their colors were silver and green.

According to the twins, Ravenclaw housed the nerds and rivaled the snobbishness of the snakes with their “windbagging”. Their animal was an eagle, on a blue and bronze colored background.

Hufflepuffs wore the colors yellow and black, a badger presenting their house. Percy said they were hard workers, while Fred and George only cracked jokes about them.

With how they were talking about it, Elsa began to worry about what house she'd be in. What if she'd be put in Slytherin? She didn't want to be seen as evil!

Would they make fun of her too if she was sorted into Hufflepuff?

**xxx**

On the morning of 1 September, Elsa wasn't able to sleep any longer. As early as a bird she left her bed and got ready for the day, trying to be as quiet as possible to not wake up Ginny.

“Good morning!” She chirped happily when she arrived in the kitchen, grinning at Mrs. Weasley, who was preparing breakfast.

“Good morning, sweetie. Up already?”

Elsa giggled as she sat down at the table. “Yes, I couldn't sleep any longer. I'm just so excited!”

Remembering she was supposed to have actual manners, she composed herself and sat quietly, though the grin couldn't be wiped from her face.

“Oh, I wish my boys would be so eager for school.” Mrs. Weasley laughed as she put a glass of milk in front of Elsa.

She was about to add something, when the door opened and Mr. Weasley walked in.

“It was the last one they had. I hope she likes-” He stopped in his tracks, a dumbfounded expression on his face as he saw Elsa. “Uh, good morning.” With a nervous laugh, he tried to hide the box behind his back.

Mrs. Weasley shook her head.

“Aw come on, Arthur. She already saw it. Might as well give it to her now.”

Her husband chuckled and put the box on the table, in front of Elsa. It had some holes in it and it was definitely moving.

“You didn't have to buy me anything!” Elsa shook her head with wide eyes. They were already allowing her to stay with them, she couldn't just accept a present too!

“Don't worry about it, sweetie. Two days ago we received a short letter from someone called Rocky and a few galleons. She said we should get you something nice for Hogwarts.”

Elsa blinked down at the box. She had been worried that Rocky was mad at her, and she was honestly a little peeved at the troll for just leaving her alone in an unknown place.

“But... I thought I already had everything for school?”

“Well, it's not obligatory, but you can bring an animal if you want, so...”

Elsa gasped, completely oblivious to the amused expressions on the adults' faces.

“You mean...”

“Just open the box.”

The blonde grinned as she hurried to do just that, revealing a sweet white-furred cat. She had icy blue eyes that were surrounded by black, accentuating the color.

She meowed cutely, purring when Elsa picked her up and cuddled her close.

“Oh my... she's so beautiful! Thank you!”

“I knew you'd like her!” Arthur grinned. “But don't thank us, thank this Rocky. Is she a friend from the orphanage too?”

Elsa smile faltered from where it was hidden in the soft fur. “Uh yes, a friend from the orphanage. She can be really nice if she wants to be.”

“AW! What a cute little kitty!” Ginny's voice rang out as she entered the kitchen, immediately squeezing next to Elsa to pet the cat, who sucked up the attention like a sponge.

“What's her name?”

The blonde bit her lip and smiled at the animal. “Well... since she's so fluffy and white, I think I'm going to call her Marshmallow.”

Ginny squealed at the cute name and continued to pet her gently as they waited for the rest of the family to arise from their sleep.

**xxx**

Later that morning they were moving through a train station, pushing carts with their luggage.

Fortunately there weren't that many people, but those who were there gave them funny stares.

It did look quite weird, especially with the caged animals.

The most attention though, was drawn by Mrs. Weasley. She kept talking loudly about muggles and what-not, which must've sounded quite strange to the passerbys.

Elsa watched in wonder when they stopped by a brick pillar and first Percy, and then the twins vanished by just running through it.

She blinked, hoping she'd get used to these things quickly. She'd lose so much time just staring and wondering.

When it was time for Ron and Elsa to run through, a dark-haired boy came to them to ask for help. He was all alone, looking quite thin and small with the baggy clothing hanging off his scrawny frame.

Mrs. Weasley sweetly helped him, explaining how it worked. The boy thanked her, his green eyes sparkling behind the round glasses he wore.

They watched him vanish in the brick wall, before enduring Mrs. Weasley's overly dramatic goodbye.

Elsa couldn't help but chuckle at the strongly affectionate woman and how she was practically suffocating her friend Ron.

It was a whole five minutes later when they made their own way through the wall, landing in a completely different train station.

There was only one train, that shined like new in red and black. The words ' _Hogwarts Express_ ' were written across the front, leaving excitement to course through the young princess' body.

“What good are big brothers if they just leave you alone when you need them?” Ron mumbled to himself as he dragged his trunk into the train, also helping Elsa with hers.

“Maybe they're saving us some seats?” Elsa offered, chuckling behind her hand at the look Ron shot her.

“Suuuure.”

They made their way through the aisle as the train started moving. Since they've arrived pretty late, all of the compartments were already occupied.

At the very back of the train they found one that was almost empty. Elsa recognized the scrawny boy from before.

“Hello, do you mind if we sit here?” The blonde asked before Ron could open his mouth.

“The rest of the train is full.” The redhead added.

The dark haired boy nodded eagerly. “Of course!”

Ron grinned and plopped down across from him, Elsa taking a seat next to her friend.

“I'm Ron. Ron Weasley.” He introduced himself first. “And this is Elsa Winters.”

“Nice to meet you, I'm Harry Potter.”

Elsa and Harry frowned at the way Ron's eyebrows raised to his hairline, eyes widening comically.

“ _The_ Harry Potter? Do you have... the scar?”

Harry didn't seem too fazed by the apparent fanboy-ing, laughing and holding up his messy bangs to reveal a lightning-shaped scar on the side of his forehead.

Elsa blinked as her friend giggled like a silly school girl.

“Um... Sorry that I have to ask that, but what is so special about 'The Harry Potter'?”

Harry opened his mouth to answer, but Ron beat him to it.

“The boy-who-lived defeated the most powerful evil wizard ever, when he was a mere baby! He survived the deadliest curse and only got a scar from it!”

“Oookay. So he's famous because he survived a deadly curse?” Elsa repeated in a normal tone, opposite to Ron's shouting.

“Don't say it like that. It's the coolest thing ever! We're sitting with a celebrity.”

Harry shrugged and chuckled. “It's no big deal to me, really. I don't even remember anything.”

Disbelieving, Ron slumped in his seat. Fanboy-ing was less fun when you had no one to share the excitement with.

The famous boy-who-lived told them about his very unspectacular life. He hasn't known about being a wizard until his last birthday in July, when Hagrid, the Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts, came by personally to pick him up because his aunt and uncle wouldn't let him go.

Elsa pursed her lips in thought. The school must've been really anxious to have Harry attending if they sent someone to pick him up. Would they have come get her too if she wouldn't have been allowed to leave?

They couldn't just do that to every muggleborn, could they?

That left her wondering how muggleborns usually got to school, since she doubted there were more magical trolls around. That was something she'd look up as soon as she was in Hogwarts.

Quickly warming up to Harry, Ron explained about his own life, about his parents both being wizards and about his exceptionally large family. He admitted that they didn't have much money to spare and that he often had to wear the clothes his older brothers had worn already.

Harry nodded in understanding, talking about his cousin that was at least three times his size and he only got his old clothes too. He even had to sleep in a tiny cupboard under the stairs.

Elsa listened in wonder. She only ever knew the large castle of Arendelle, with fine hand-made clothes just for her.

The burrow had been an exciting place to be, despite being stuffed. She couldn't even imagine living in a cupboard.

However, she had already spun her story of being an orphan, she might as well stick with it. It would sound like bragging if she told them about her real living arrangements, right? And then Ron would know she's lied before.

“What about you?” Harry asked, his green eyes catching hers.

“Well... I've become an orphan when I was around eight.” She started. “I think my dad was a wizard, but I don't really remember since he died when I was little and mom never talked about him. I've been sent to a muggle orphanage then when my mom died too. When I got the letter I kind of ran away, because I was afraid they wouldn't let me go... or would think I was a freak.”

Percy had told her that apparently it was a big deal for some wizards and witches whether you were a pureblood, meaning both of your parents were magic, or a muggleborn, as the name indicates it means that both your parents were muggles.

So to keep herself out of unnecessary trouble even before stepping a foot in Hogwarts, and since she had to lie anyways, she settled for her false self being a halfblood.

There was a nod of understanding from Harry the conversation carried on, until an elderly woman opened the sliding door. She was pushing a cart filled with candy.

“Hello cuties, do you want some candy?”

Since Mrs. Weasley had made them some – quite soggy – sandwiches for the train ride, Ron and Elsa politely declined.

Harry, apparently very rich, bought the whole cart, being kind enough to share with them.

While there was plenty of various candy, that Elsa had never heard of, the secret princess kept to chocolate.

Ron pointed out several of the sweets to them, like Bertie Bott's Beans. Elsa made sure to stay away from them, definitely not wanting to find out how the vomit ones tasted like.

Ron wanted to magically turn his rat yellow, but just as he had drawn his wand, a bushy haired girl opened the door to their compartment.

From the first few seconds of her talking, Elsa could tell she appeared quite stuck-up.

With a small frown the princess watched the interaction, how Ron's spell failed and the girl showed off by repairing Harry's glasses.

Her head tilted slightly as the girl, called Hermione apparently, perked up considerably when she realized she was talking to The Harry Potter. If everyone they met reacted that way... well.

Hermione seemed to realize she should probably be nice to Harry's entourage if she wanted to be in his good graces, though Elsa could tell she had trouble hiding her disgust.

In a way, the blonde could even understand her, with how Ron chose exact that moment to introduce himself and Elsa with a mouth full of various candy and cake.

There was even some dirt from who-knows-where on his nose.

“You might want to get dressed, we're gonna be arriving soon.” Were her parting words, her nose scrunched up.

“What a snob.” Ron commented after swallowing, rolling his eyes at Harry, who gave a shrug.

“She looked at me as if I was a dirty pig!”

A future queen should always speak her mind, Elsa recalled, but Ron was her only friend, and Harry could be a good friend too. So she should probably lay low if she didn't want to be talked about like they did talk about Hermione.

“Anyways, you have a smudge of dirt,” she pointed to the side of her own nose, “right here.”

Elsa handed him a napkin, chuckling when he stuck out her tongue at her as he scrubbed at his nose.

“We should really get dressed though, I think we will really arrive very soon.” Harry commented after more dressed students walked by their compartment.

Elsa went to the restroom to change clothes, while the boys stayed by their seats. She had to wait in line, watching some of the other girls.

They were all talking in groups already, either having befriended during the train ride or, from their snippets of conversation, had been friends even before coming to Hogwarts.

She should probably make an effort to find girl friends too. But how did you talk to someone you don't know? How to start a conversation?

The blonde pursed her lips. She probably should wait until she's been sorted into a house. Yes, no point in jumping headfirst into the unknown.

Instead of queen training, her parents should've shown her how to find friends.

When they stepped out of the train later, a large hairy man with a lantern awaited them. Hagrid, as Harry told them, said their luggage would be brought to Hogwarts magically.

He led them to a lake, where a dozen boats were waiting for them. After getting in, the boats moved on their own over the dark water, towards a huge castle.

All of the first-years were amazed, and despite living in a castle on her own, Elsa was just as speechless.

It was _way_ bigger than the castle in Arendelle, more of stone than wood. The princess could feel her heat beat faster the closer they came to the school. She couldn't believe she came that far.

Inside the castle, the group of first-years was greeted by a strict looking woman, wearing a dark green robe and a hat with two feathers.

She introduced herself as Professor McGonagall and gave a small speech about the four houses, that the house equals their family. Also about housepoints and a trophy to be won at the end of the year.

Those who had older siblings in Hogwarts weren't really paying that much attention since they basically knew everything already. Elsa had heard much from Ron's brothers, still she paid rapt attention as to not make mistakes.

When they were told to wait and the woman left, Elsa came to stand behind Harry and Ron, listening to them talk about which house they'll be in.

The Weasley was pretty sure he'll be sorted into Gryffindor, like the rest of his family. At the same time he was a little worried to be sorted into another house, afraid that his parents would be disappointed.

Harry and Elsa shared pretty much the same opinion, they didn't care which house they'd be in, as long as it wasn't Slytherin.

The rumors were so strong with the snake house; it was unlikely so many people were wrong.

“So it's true what they said on the train. The Harry Potter is in Hogwarts.” A blond boy with slicked back hair had spoken from somewhere to the left.

Elsa couldn't fully see him, since she was standing behind Harry and Ron, but from his tone she already felt a negative vibe coming from him.

The whispers and chit chat of the other students stopped completely as they all watched the display with mixed feelings.

When he came closer with two other, bulkier boys, she could see his shiny shoes and brand new well-fitting robes, up to his pale face, currently in a cocky smirk.

“This is Crabbe and this is Goyle. And I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy.”

Ron chuckled, barely covering it up behind a cough. Elsa lightly elbowed him; did he really want to attract that kind of attention?

The boy called Draco was on him immediately. With all the grace of a snobby brat he looked down on the ginger despite being the same size.

"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."

Elsa frowned deeply at the hurtful comment. Just because they didn't have a lot of money and weren't as utterly spoiled as he himself was... it was no reason to act like that.

The princess could tell he came from a wealthy family. Taking aside the attitude and shiny new attire, his posture held some sort of grace Elsa only knew of royals and that kind.

However, royals were taught how to treat people right. And not how to brag about how superior you think you are.

When Ron lowered his gaze and didn't reply to the taunt, Draco caught Elsa's glare, about to probably insult her too, but something made him change his mind.

Elsa braced herself for anything the mean boy might throw at her. She didn't even say anything, but if he wanted to insult her too, she wouldn't back down. That was not how she's been raised.

Instead of a snide remark, Draco took her hand and bowed down with all the grace of a gentleman, lightly touching his lips to the back of her hand.

Elsa tried to keep the frown on her face, but couldn't help the slight blush that colored her cheeks at the gesture.

She certainly wasn't used to this kind of behavior. Well, at least she wasn't expecting that kind of behavior _here_.

In her books, or her mother's tales, it was the usual greeting between royals and such, but in a school for wizards and witches she hasn't really expected such traditional things. The Weasleys certainly weren't like that, and neither was Harry.

Draco had a cocky smile on his face as he stood back up. Finding her voice again, Elsa raised an eyebrow, chin high.

“Why did you do that?”

“Well, I was taught that's how you greet a beautiful girl.”

Elsa didn't quite know how to react to that. She certainly hadn't expected something like that from him, with how snobbish he's been before. There was a twinkle in those silver eyes.

“Just leave her alone, Malfoy!”

The blond head whipped around to glare at Harry. “I don't think this conversation concerns you...” he hissed curtly, before facing Elsa again.

“Excuse me, beautiful.” The tone he was using was sweet, a harsh contrast to before.

Elsa couldn't really do anything but being equally embarrassed and flattered, and tried to hide it behind a glare. His forwardness had caught her off guard, she had to admit.

Draco stood fully before Harry again, his back to Ron to further exclude him from the conversation.   
  


"You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there.”

Harry didn't even acknowledge the pale hand Draco offered.

“I think I can tell the wrong sort myself.”

Malfoy's expression turned quite sour, but whatever he had wanted to say was interrupted by Professor McGonagall reappearing behind him.

The silver gaze caught Elsa's shortly before he had to go back to his place.

Elsa ignored him, keeping her head high as she followed the professor into a large hall.

“What a prick...” Ron mumbled towards them, but Harry and Elsa were both awed by the full hall, the long tables and most importantly, the charmed ceiling and levitating candles above them.

The bushy haired brunette from the trained kept explaining things about Hogwarts to a girl next to her.

Elsa felt her heat beat faster when she realized just how many people there were. She subconsciously fiddled with the sleeves of her robe. Maybe she should've brought her gloves, as a security blanket?

It was stupid, no one would be able to tell she had ice powers from just looking at her.

When they passed Ron's brothers she smiled, kind of glad she already knew some more people here.

She took a deep breath and concentrated on the rest of the hall, mainly the front of it when they came to a stop there.

Another large desk was there, from the looks of it, it was the place where all the professors ate.

One man with greasy black hair and a pale grim face stood out on the far left. Next to him was a slim, nervous looking man with a cloth on his head.

She recognized Hagrid on the far right side and next to him sat a man that looked like a dwarf from a fairy tale.

The seat in the center of the table was taken by a rather old but kind looking man. That probably was Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster.

He was standing up, and Elsa stood straighter too, listening closely so she wouldn't miss anything important. She couldn't mess this up.

Dumbledore was announcing some rules, places they were forbidden to go and so on.

Elsa frowned. Why would a forest be forbidden? And what could be so dangerous in a school that they weren't allowed to go near it?

Curiosity killed the cat, they say, and Elsa was determined to not get into any trouble if she could help it. There was plenty of other things and places to explore. She wouldn't risk being expelled. She couldn't go back, after all.

When the headmaster was done with his speech, a stool and a shabby wrinkled hat were placed right before the professors' table.

“It's time for you to get sorted into your houses. When I call your name, you will sit down on this stool and I will put the hat on your head. Then the hat will tell you which house you will be in. You will then go and sit with your new classmates.”

Elsa shortly glanced at the four tables behind them. From what the Weasleys have told her, the yellow and black students on the right were the Hufflepuffs, the blue and bronze ones were the Ravenclaws, on the other side of the middle aisle was the red and gold themed Gryffindor table, and on the far left were the green and silver Slytherins.

“We'll still be friends, even if we're not in the same house, right?” Ron asked quietly, making Harry and Elsa smile.

“Of course!”

Each of them were glad to already have found friends, they wouldn't let something like a different house get in between them.

“Hermione Granger!”

They watched nervously as the snobby girl from the train walked up the three steps to the stool. When she sat down, Professor McGonagall put the hat on her bushy head.

To most new students' surprise the wrinkled hat started talking. About Hermione's brightness, for example, as if he'd known her for ages.

“Gryffindor!” The table with the Gryffindors erupted into cheers, startling Elsa.

Hermione seemed relieved as she grinned and joined her house. While she was greeted heartily there, the professor read off the next name on the list.

“Draco Malfoy!”

The blond was gracefully making his way up to the stool. The hat barely touched his hair before shouting out “Slytherin!”

Draco seemed proud to be there, which none of the three could understand at all.

While he joined his table, Elsa observed him.

He truly looked like he came from a wealthy family. She was very sure now that they weren't royals or even close to it. Royals were taught to be fair and good leaders.

Draco was more leaving the impression that he's been raised to think he was better than everyone else.

Elsa didn't catch where the girl called Susan Bones was sorted into, because now Draco Malfoy was looking at her. She held his gaze, pouring her disapproval for his behavior into it.

She was a little perturbed when he just smiled, somehow seeming pleased by her behavior.

Rolling her blue eyes, Elsa focused on the front again, just in time to hear Ron's name being called.

The redhead gulped audibly as he jerkily walked up to be sorted.

As soon as the hat touched him, it knew exactly that another Weasley was sitting there. It teased him for a while about putting him in a different house, but of course he was sent to his siblings into Gryffindor.

Elsa and Harry clapped along with the Gryffindors, sharing their friend's relief.

“Harry Potter!” The clapping died down immediately. Everyone's eyes were fixated on Harry. Even the headmaster leaned a little closer.

Who would've guessed he was _that_ famous? He was just a normal boy, after all. Yet he seemed to be everyone's hero for something he couldn't even remember doing.

Harry slowly made his way to the stool, shaking, but trying hard to hide it.

The whole hall listened closely to what the hat had to say to the boy-who-lived.

For a while it sounded as if the hat wanted to put Harry into Slytherin. However, in the end he was also sent to Gryffindor. The table exploded in cheers and applause, and even Dumbledore was clapping for Harry. Everyone seemed to be happy that Harry was sorted into the red and gold house.

Professor McGonagall gave them a few moments of cheering before continuing with her list.

Elsa became quite nervous. So far, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff had the most first-years. A girl called Pansy Parkinson was sorted into Slytherin too.

She imagined having to go there too and shuddered. She shouldn't be prejudiced, but what if Harry and Ron didn't want to be friends with her anymore then?

“Elsa Winters!”

She gulped trying hard to not let her anxiety show. Conceal, don't feel; she repeated the mantra in her head as she marched to the stool.

Her heart was beating wildly at the multiple faces watching her, before her world became dark as the too large hat slipped slightly over her eyes.

“Interesting, interesting...” She heard the hat's voice. Her bottom lip should be all bloody with how much she was chewing it out. What if he told everyone her secret?!

“I haven't seen anything like you for a very long time. Powerful little girl.”

Elsa's eyes widened behind the black leathery fabric of the hat as her hands gripped the stool's edges hard. She had to use every ounce of will power to keep the ice from spreading on the wooden furniture.

The hat laughed.

“Don't worry, your secret is safe with me! But where to put you...?” A few moments passed as the hat thought.

She hoped he would hurry before she slipped up.

“Some of your traits would make you fit into Slytherin very well...”

Elsa didn't make a sound, her heartbeat loud in her own head. She didn't want to be in Slytherin.

“... But I feel like the best place for you is...” She held her breath.

“RAVENCLAW!”

The world became bright again as the hat was pulled from her head. There was cheering too, the most coming from the Ravenclaw table. Elsa let go of the breath she was holding and laughed in relief, hurrying to join her house.

She was greeted friendly by her new classmates.

As the sorting continued, Elsa caught Harry's and Ron's gazes and they exchanged a shrug and a grin.

To Elsa, it was perfect. She could keep her friends, but also had her privacy if needed.

Over the boys' shoulders she saw Draco looking at her again, which she pointedly ignored. If he really wanted to befriend her, he'd have to apologize to Ron.

When all of the new students were seated, food appeared magically on the tables and there was a lot of chitchat. The older Ravenclaws told the newbies all they needed to know, like how Professor Flitwick, the little man next to Hagrid, was their head of the house. He was responsible for them, he decided what punishment they'd get if they got into trouble.

He was also teaching Charms.

Elsa, along with her fellow first years, was quite surprised as a ghost just levitated past them without looking up.

It was a beautiful woman, wearing a long old-fashioned dress. She almost looked like a princess. A sad princess.

She was mourning the whole way over the table, seemingly crying, if a ghost _could_ cry.

“That's the Grey Lady!”

As Elsa frowned, an asian girl next to her introduced herself as Cho Chang and smiled at her. She appeared to be a year older than the blonde.

“She's our house ghost. She lost her diadem a long time ago, that's why she's so sad.”

Cho animatedly explained some more things to Elsa, who listened with great interest. The asian girl could explain things in a way it didn't seem smart-alecky at all, compared to Hermione's monologue during their entrance.

When everyone was done eating, the Ravenclaw first-years were told to follow a girl named Penelope Clearwater and a boy named Robert Hilliard. Cho had explained to Elsa that they were prefects.

They were older students from the fifth and sixth year that looked out for the younger students and made sure the rules were being followed. They could also take housepoints if needed and were a general support for the teachers.

The prefects led them to the west side of the castle, over the magically moving stairs and up a hidden spiral staircase, which was quite a climb. In front of a wall with a simple door they stopped.

“Okay, to get into our common room, you'll have to solve a logical riddle.”

There was no keyhole or handle. A bronze knocker on the door started talking instead.

“ _Who makes it, has no need of it._

_Who buys it, has no use for it._

_Who uses it can neither see nor feel it._

_What is it?”_

Penelope smiled at encouragingly at the younger Ravenclaws.

“Go ahead and think. If you know the answer, tell the knocker.”

There were lots of thinking faces. Elsa knew she had read about such a riddle before. It had been a way funnier lecture than her guide to understanding shipping business.

It took her a few moments, but she was the first to know the answer.

“A coffin!” She exclaimed, making the bronze eagle on the knocker appear to grin.

“Very well. Let's get inside.” Robert praised.

The swung open to let them in.

The common room reminded Elsa of a nice sitting room.

It was circular, with a bronze marble fireplace and blue tapestries and armchairs all around. The ceiling was domed and had glowing stars that reflected from the midnight blue carpet.

The windows were framed by blue and bronze curtains, and there were lots of bookshelves.

To the right was a statue of Rowena Ravenclaw, also made of white marble.

“Girls follow Penelope, boys come with me.” Robert announced, making his way to the statue.

Since Penelope was also moving there, Elsa followed her with three other female first-years. They were keeping to themselves, apparently having known each other for a long time even before coming to Hogwarts.

One of them had a twin sister that was sorted into Gryffindor, if Elsa remembered right.

The prefect led them to a hallway on the left side of the statue, while the boys went right.

The bedrooms were really nice, with a similar color scheme like the common room.

In the first bedroom the three friends found their beds, their luggage already waiting in the room.

Elsa followed Penelope to the next room. There were also three beds.

“We're lucky we don't have as many students as Gryffindor, for example.” Penelope explained. “So we only have three beds per room instead of five.” She chuckled.

“You're sharing a room with Cho Chang and Becky Clearwater. I think you met Cho at dinner. And you'll like Becky too. She's my little sister, in her second year. My room is the second one after the statue in case you need anything.”

The blonde thanked the prefect, barely catching herself before she did a curtsy out of habit.

“You'll get your timetable tomorrow at breakfast. Around 7.30 am Robert and I will wait in the common room to escort you and the others to the Great Hall for the whole week so you don't get lost.”

“That's really nice. With the moving stairs it's a likely thing to happen.”

“ _I'm_ not even used to it, and it's already my fifth year, so...” She laughed when Cho and Becky entered their bedroom.

“Oh, and of course you can ask them too if you have questions. They don't bite, I think.”

“Haha, you're so funny, 'Lope.” The brunette with the pixie cut, presumably Becky, stuck out her tongue.

“But really, just ask if you need anything.” she directed at Elsa.

Elsa couldn't even tell how relieved she was. Everyone seemed to be so nice here. She smiled the whole time as she started to unpack, listening to the older girls bicker.

She couldn't wait for her first real day to start.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

The next day, Elsa had to pinch herself first thing after waking up. No, it hadn't been a dream. She was really here, in Hogwarts.

She couldn't believe the past two weeks have been real. She really ran away from home, befriended a few strangers, and was visiting a school for magic.

Excited for her first day of school, Elsa got up and took a quick shower. Her uniform consisted of a skirt, a white blouse and a dark gray sweater vest over it.

Her black tie from yesterday had changed overnight, now striped blue and bronze, and her robe to wear over her uniform now also matched her classmates'.

Elsa smiled at herself in the mirror as she fixed her hair to one single braid and put on a blue hairband to finish off the look. She was so excited for her first class: Transfiguration.

But first things first, she had to get to breakfast. In the common room she met her fellow newbies, who were waiting for Penelope and Robert.

“Is it true that you're friends with Harry Potter?” The girl whose twin sister had been sorted into Gryffindor asked when Elsa joined them.

“Oh, yes. We befriended during the train ride yesterday.” The blonde explained, working on appearing as casual as them.

“That's so cool. I'm Padma, and this is Alice and Mel.” Padma Patil introduced herself and her two friends.

“My name is Elsa, nice to meet you.” To the princess it felt kind of awkward. Did they really want to get to know her, or were they just interested because she was friends with Harry?

Anyways, they were talking about random topics among themselves as they waited for the prefects. Elsa tried to follow their conversation, but found she barely knew anything.

There were so many magical terms she had no idea of.

Padma and Mel were both half-bloods, while Alice was a muggleborn. That was all she understood. She didn't know what Quidditch was, but from the context she guessed it was some sort of sport.

Elsa felt kind of relieved when their prefects showed up to guide them down to the Great Hall, giving them advice of how to handle the moving stairs and explaining directions to some important classrooms they'd need on the way.

In the Great Hall, the sixth year prefects were handing them their time tables with the comment that usually Professor Flitwick would do that, but he was busy that morning.

Elsa forced herself to eat some toast with chocolate to calm her overly excited stomach. She looked, but neither Harry nor Ron where to be seen. She just hoped they wouldn't sleep in and be late to their first real class.

She saw Draco and his friends make fun of Hermione. A frown made itself shown on her face. Why wouldn't they leave her alone? Just because she was muggleborn? That was no way to treat a person, no matter their heritage.

When Hermione had enough, she grabbed her things and left the table, being followed by the Slytherins.

They passed Elsa's seat, and the princess couldn't stop herself from stepping in.

She stood up when Hermione had passed her to stop the boys' approach.

“What do you want?!” One of the bulky guys roughly asked, flinching when he was elbowed in the ribs by Draco.

“That's no way to talk to a lady, Goyle.” He scolded, face turning pleasant as he looked at Elsa.

“Sorry for his behavior. How are you this morning, beautiful?”

Elsa blinked. Why was he treating her differently? What was going on in his head?

“I'm fine. Though I don't approve of your behavior towards Hermione.”

Crabbe and Goyle exchanged a look at her way of talking. Draco raised an eyebrow, scoffing.

“What, you mean the mudblood?”

Crossing her arms, Elsa frowned at him.

“Why are you so mean? It's not her fault her parents aren't magical. You aren't better just because you're pure blooded.”

The silver eyes narrowed at her as he stuck up his nose. “I am. Anything other than purebloods shouldn't be in Hogwarts.”

Elsa gave herself a moment to calm down before speaking up. She'd rather shout some sense to him, but a princess wasn't to get loud.

“You really think that? Well, then maybe I shouldn't be here either, as a halfblood.”

Draco glared at her, but didn't reply. Since he didn't appear to be answering anytime soon, Elsa turned around and left the hall swiftly, heart thumping from the encounter.

Why were so many faces staring at her? Wasn't it okay to stand up to a bully? Shouldn't she have said anything?

Her grip tightened on the strap of her bag. Her first day had barely started and she already had doubts about everything. She'd really need her gloves if the day got any harder.

“Elsa, wait!” Padma and her entourage were following her. “Oh my gosh, I can't believe you were talking like that to Draco Malfoy!”

“Did you see his face? He was going to explode!”

Was it really that big a deal? Elsa sighed inwardly. At least no one was making fun of her.

The Transfiguration classroom was quite empty since they were pretty early.

The three girls were giggling as they took a seat on the right of the classroom.

Elsa stood there, quite unsure. She didn't feel like sitting next to them with their chattering. She needed to focus, after all.

On the left front side was the bushy head of Hermione. Elsa bit her lip as she approached her.

“Do you mind if I sit here?” She asked, hoping not to sound too shy.

Hermione looked up from the book she was reading, watching Elsa with slightly red-rimmed eyes.

“Sure.”

Elsa sat down, getting out her own things to prepare for class. She kind of felt as if she should say something, but she had no idea what.

Her sheltered early childhood was more and more proving to be the wrong way to be raised. She had no idea how to start a normal conversation!

Frowning down at her own book, she started reading the prologue to maybe get a feel for the class. Befriending people was way harder than she had thought.

They sat in silence as the room slowly filled with students. Elsa studied her timetable with pursed lips. Some classes were fit to hold more pupils, some others weren't.

Herbology, for example, was a class the first-years from all houses shared. Just like Potions or Flying lessons.

Others like Charms, Astronomy or Transfiguration were too small, so they've been split up.

This class Elsa shared with the Gryffindors. Next they had two hours Potions together with Hufflepuff and Slytherin.

After lunch they all had their very first Flying lesson, followed by two hours of Charms, again with the Gryffindors.

That was quite good. Elsa really wanted to have as little as possible to do with the Slytherins.

So far the only classes she'd share with the Slytherins alone this year was Astronomy and Defence Against Dark Arts, DADA for short. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw would both be in History of Magic together.

“It's gonna change next year, you know.” Elsa blinked at Hermione's words.

“Excuse me, what is going to change?”

“The timetable. Every year they mix them up. Could be we don't have any classes together next year, for example.”

Elsa had no idea why Hermione told her this, but she was certainly glad she had started a conversation.

“Really? That would be a shame... I'd rather not share too many classes with the Slytherins.”

“They're all a bunch of bullies. They think they're better than everyone.”

“I don't think _all_ of them are, but it certainly seems to be a collective trait in our fellow first-years.”

Hermione frowned at her. “... Why are you talking so funny? You sound like my aunt. She's a teacher.”

Elsa needed a second to gather her bearings, clearing her throat and hoping not to blush.

“Sorry. Our... uhm, one our guardians at the orphanage was quite strict about us learning to express ourselves correctly.”

“Orphanage? So you don't have any parents?”

Feeling her shoulders hunch up slightly, Elsa shrugged. She didn't want to constantly lie.

“They died when I was eight. I'd rather not talk about it, to be honest.” She fiddled with the corners of the timetable's parchment.

“You seem to know pretty much about Hogwarts already. That's pretty impressing. I didn't know anything besides from what Ron's family told me.”

Hermione's face lit up at the praise. “Well, my parents surely wouldn't have let me travel to someplace that was just not existent to them. I learned everything I could about it to persuade them it was a legit place.”

“What would you have done if they hadn't let you go?” Elsa asked curiously.

“I think a professor would've come to convince them.” Hermione said. “Magic powers left out of control are pretty dangerous. Especially with younger ones.”

Elsa noted how she evaded the word “kids”. She nodded in understanding. Would've someone come to get her too if her parents wouldn't have let her go?

Harry had told her that Hagrid had come to pick him up, too.

“I hope I won't fail completely.” Elsa thought out loud, already worrying about how to learn so many new things.

Hermione fiddled with the corner of her book, a little shy knack. “We could help each other out?” She said quietly, eyes on the book rather than on the other girl.

The princess couldn't help but grin, heart jumping happily at the outcome. It was probably too early to call them friends, but it was a start.

“I'd like that very much.”

Speaking of friends, Elsa wondered where Ron and Harry were. The class was full already, about to start actually, but they were nowhere to be seen.

Professor McGonagall, teaching Transfiguration, began by telling them to copy a few paragraphs from their books. There wouldn't be using any magic before they had internalized the rules and precautions.

As they followed the instruction, the professor transformed herself to a few awed gazes into a cat and sat on her table, observing the class.

The students worked quietly for a while, until the door burst open revealing Harry and Ron hurrying inside.

Elsa watched them find her in the front row and made to sit next to her, all the while talking as if there was no adult around.

The princess tried to warn them, but her upbringing made her shut her mouth. It was not okay to talk when her teacher was sitting right there, despite her being a cat at the moment.

Blue eyes observed the cat as she turned back to her human form, scolding the boys for their tardiness. Fortunately they only got a slap on their wrist, figuratively speaking, instead of a real punishment. It was their first day, after all.

Hermione stuck to Elsa's side as they made their way to Potions later, much to Ron's dismay.

“Transfiguration is a fascinating subject. Imagine, you can just turn one object to another with the flick of your wand. Of course there's much more work behind it, and for some it's gonna be easier than for others.”

Ron rolled his eyes and let himself fall back a step with Harry. The Weasley was mocking her, clearly annoyed by her way of talking, as if she was better than them.

Elsa was quite torn. On one hand, she wanted to tell Ron to stop it. On the other hand, Hermione _was_ easily slipping into her snobbish tone. She wanted neither of them be mad at her because she was taking sides for one of them.

So she just ignored Ron's hushed voice and let herself be dragged along faster with how Hermione's arm was linked with hers.

The Potions classroom was in the dungeons. The majority of the students was already inside, probably because their previous class had been closer.

Inside, it was pretty dark. It had a depressing vibe about it, and according to Ron, who had caught up with them, it was quite chilly. Elsa just shrugged, not feeling it. The cold had never bothered her.

They took a few empty seats to the middle right side, and Elsa made sure that she and Harry were between Ron and Hermione. She'd rather not have them bicker during class.

The whole class jumped when a side door burst open and Professor Snape, the greasy haired man, entered the room with swift steps. All the chattering had stopped immediately. It was so quiet you could've heard a needle drop.

Elsa immediately felt intimidated by the mean looking man. It was probably just the way he was; he was just doing his job, after all.

Harry was scribbling something on his parchment, which Snape didn't seem to approve of at all. Elsa nudged him with her foot so he would stop, but the professor had already targeted him.

The princess felt absolutely mortified by the questions Snape asked Harry. Were they supposed to know all of this already?

Hermione apparently did know it all, since her arm was up constantly. The professor ignored her, though. He seemed to gain a kick out of humiliating Harry.

Elsa was inclined to help out her friend, to tell the professor how unfair he was acting. But here she wasn't supposed to be a princess, she had to remind herself. She was supposed to be an orphan, raised in a muggle orphanage. She couldn't just keep on acting like a royal in front of everyone.

So she just bit her lip and tried not too frown too hard at the unfair treatment. When Snape was done with his harassment, he commented how fame was not everything, and Elsa swore his gaze flickered to her too when he said it.

Of course the professors would know about her royal status. Elsa would've preferred it if only the headmaster and the deputy headmistress were informed.

Her blood was rushing in her ears at how intimidated she was by Snape. A group of Slytherins, Draco Malfoy among them, was smirking in satisfaction that the great Harry Potter had been treated like that.

Elsa already knew then she'd hate this class forever.

After the incident, Elsa learned that Potions was quite a tough subject. All the different ways to prepare the ingredients, and the sheer number of various plant parts and animal parts and things she never even heard of. Apparently it mattered how many times you stirred a drought, or if you did it clockwise or the other way around.

How was she supposed to learn all of this, added to the other classes still ahead of her?

Despite not really having brewed anything, Elsa was completely worn as she flopped down at the Ravenclaw table for lunch, in a very un-princess-like manner.

Padma and her girls kept to themselves, probably because Elsa had started to befriend Hermione.

But Cho was smiling when Elsa pouted as she filled her plate with a piece of chicken.

“Who knew mixing some ingredients together could be so hard?” The blonde wondered out loud.

“So you met Professor Snape, I assume?”

“Yes. For a crazy reason he hates everyone who isn't in Slytherin.”

“The crazy reason is that he is their head of the house. They shouldn't favor their house of course, but well,” the asian girl shrugged, “some just do.”

“Great...” Elsa sighed, forcing herself to eat something. She didn't see Draco at the Slytherin table and was quite glad about that. The dislike for the green and silver house seemed to grow as the rumors were verified with every passing hour.

“What is your next class?” Becky asked from the other side of the table, chuckling at how Elsa perked up at that.

“Flying. I can't wait for it.” She smiled. She couldn't wait to learn how to defy gravity and feel the wind whipping through her hair.

The older girls talked about some thing or the other, until a bunch of owls interrupted them. They just came flying inside from the open windows, dropping various letters and packages by their owners.

Cho received one of the letters and a newspaper. Elsa, despite having seen and studied it at the Burrow, was still awed by the moving pictures in the Daily Prophet.

“Oh wow, someone managed to break into Gringotts!” Becky exclaimed, pointing at the title report.

“Gringotts?” Elsa asked with a frown.

“Our wizarding bank?” Becky clarified, curious as to how Elsa wouldn't know the most famous bank in their world.

“... Okay?”

“No one can break in. It's just not possible. It's the most secured bank in Europe.” Cho explained, tilting her head as she read the article.

“Nothing was stolen though. Why would someone break into a bank and not take anything?”

“That's the million dollar question, I guess.” Becky shrugged, shoveling peas into her mouth. “And how he got in, of course.”

“Someone from the inside must've helped him. There is no other way.”

Elsa would've loved to continue the conversation with them, but she saw the other first-years slowly getting up.

“I have to go, I don't want to be late!” She said as she got up, joining Ron and Harry when they passed her on their way out.

They were already talking about the flying.

“And one day I'll be so good at flying that they will beg for me to play for Gryffindor's Quidditch team...” Ron said in a dreamy voice.

“Can you tell me more about Quidditch?” Elsa asked, chuckling at the face the redhead made.

Sure, she had heard the basics at the Burrow, but now Ron was launching into a detailed explanation of the most famous sport in the magic world.

The details were too much for Elsa to understand everything, but she was pretty sure she had grasped the main concept. There were seven players per team, and three different kinds of balls.

They had to try to get one of the balls, the quaffle, through the opponent's rings, while two heavier balls called bludgers were trying to get them off their brooms.

Over all, there was one player called the seeker, who was chasing a tiny golden ball, the snitch. Whichever team's seeker caught it first would gain 150 points for their team and end the game.

All in all it sounded like quite the rambunctious game. Elsa wasn't sure she'd like it.

At the flying grounds outside, a woman with spiky dark silver hair and yellow eyes introduced herself as Madam Hooch. She was their professor for flying, also posing as referee during the Quidditch games.

“And then you say: Up!”

They all tried. Harry succeeded at the first try. The broom flew into his hand as if it belonged there. Draco was equally successful.

Ron's broomstick smacked him in the face, making Elsa wince.

Hermione's broom was wiggling on the ground, not quite lifting up.

Looking at the broom right next to her, Elsa took a deep breath and tried for herself. The broom didn't move at all and the princess felt herself start to panic already. Maybe there had been a mistake, and she wasn't really a witch? Would they throw her out if they found out she couldn't do the same magic as them?

A few more tries, and finally to her great relief the broom was secure in her grip. She had been among the last ones.

Madam Hooch told them to sit on the brooms now and gave them instructions.

Surprisingly Neville Longbottom of Gryffindor was the first to succeed. He levitated a little above the ground, but instead of landing again he rose higher and higher.

The professor was yelling at him to come down, but apparently Neville had no idea how to steer, let alone land.

He was flung through the air by the broom's will, until his cloak got caught in a statue's spear and he began slipping.

Elsa felt the ice tingle in her palms, to maybe create a soft landing spot, but she hesitated. She had tried to catch Anna back then, only to hurt her badly instead of helping her.

Neville fell, landing awkwardly on his arm. Elsa covered her mouth with her hand, eyes wide. She had thought she was over the incident, but it was easier when you were alone in your room. She was really tempted to get her gloves.

Madam Hooch helped him up, examining the obviously broken arm. “I will bring Mr. Longbottom to the hospital wing. If I catch any of you above ground you will be expelled before you can say _Quidditch_!”

And with that she was gone.

Something had fallen from Neville's pocket, some sort of ball, and Draco was the one picking it up. Having a bad feeling about this, Elsa was about to speak up, but Harry was faster.

Without fear he demanded the Slytherin gave it back, but the blond was taunting him, rising up into the air, the ball still in his hand.

When Harry got on his broom too, Elsa got a hold of his arm.

“Are you crazy?! Don't let him bait you. You can't, they will expel you!”

“I don't care! I can't just let him bully everyone!” And with that he was off the ground.

Elsa sighed in exasperation, watching them fly around as Harry tried to grab the ball.

“This is not going to end well...” Hermione spoke up next to Elsa, a worried expression on her face.

Draco had thrown the ball, Harry chasing after it. Elsa just hoped Madam Hooch wouldn't be back just then.

When Harry landed, it was to cheers from his classmates. He had caught the ball. Anyways, Professor McGonagall's appearance dimmed that cheer gravely.

They watched as he was escorted inside, unsure of how to react.

Feeling a surge of anger, Elsa turned to glare at the laughing Slytherins.

“Was that really necessary?!”

Draco gave a cocky smirk. “Why yes, it was. Snape said it himself; fame is not everything. It won't save him from being expelled.”

“The only reason he will get expelled is because you're a bloody git!” Ron spat, angry that his friend got in trouble.

Draco narrowed his eyes at him. “I'm not wasting my breath on you blood traitor, Weaselby.”

“Every breath you take is wasted, Malfoy!” Elsa felt a little taken aback by the horrible statement Hermione just made. That was a little harsh, wasn't it?

“Oh ho, the mudblood wants to play in our league. Mind your own business, you piece of-”

“Enough!” Elsa interrupted him. “Are you really that insecure that you need to make others feel bad to boost your own self-esteem?”

The Slytherin frowned deeply, the corners of his mouth dropping as he started to glare.

“You better watch your mouth. You-”

Again the blond was interrupted, this time by the reappearance of Madam Hooch. He bit his tongue, but didn't drop the glare.

Elsa refused to acknowledge it as she waited for the professor to dismiss them. She had every intention to find Harry afterwards, maybe she could talk to professor McGonagall, tell her that Draco baited him.

She was not afraid of the Slytherin, his words only masked his insecurities, she was sure of it.

On their way back to the castle, her shoulder was bumped as Malfoy walked past her. Over his shoulder, he gave her a brief glance. “You shouldn't keep the wrong company.”

Elsa frowned at that. It was none of his business who she spent time with. Why wouldn't he insult her like the others?

However, before they could go and maybe help Harry, Charms was on their schedule. It was hard concentrating on that with the worry over their friend in their minds. He couldn't be expelled on the first day of school... could he?

Their professor here was Flitwick, head of Ravenclaw. Elsa was pleasantly surprised to find that he was a really nice man. Sure, he seemed a little overly enthusiastic, but she'd prefer him over Snape any day.

They were actually allowed to use their wands. Professor Flitwick was pretty light-hearted, and thought that after a day full of rather boring first touches with magic, a little light _actual_ charm would relax them.

They were to try and use one of the simplest, but most useful charms, _Lumos_. He demanded they'd concentrate despite the simplicity.

To Elsa, it seemed really easy. They just had to draw a simple line upwards with the wand and pronounce the spell correctly.

Contrary to flying lesson, Elsa was the first to master the spell, gaining her house five points.

Cho had explained the housepoints-system last evening before they went to sleep, so Elsa was pretty proud of herself.

Hermione was right behind Elsa, head held high with a satisfied smile on her face.

The two hours flew by rather fast, and Elsa was convinced she found her favorite subject already. She didn't take the time to dwell on it though, there were more important things to do before dinner.

Ron, Hermione and her hurried to find Professor McGonagall and Harry, but the boy-who-lived was already waiting for them. He had changed into his casual, too baggy clothing, but appeared quite excited instead of devastated.

“What happened? Were you really expelled?” Ron asked, eyes wide.

Harry shook his head, grinning widely.

“McGonagall saw me catch Neville's remembrall and thinks I'm perfectly fit to be our team's seeker!”

“No way! First-years never make the team!” Ron gushed in excitement.

“Wait, so you aren't in trouble?” Elsa asked again just to make sure.

“Nope. Tomorrow after class Oliver Wood, the captain, is introducing me to the rules and stuff.”

The boys kept talking about the honor of it, while Hermione and Elsa were just glad he was okay.

**xxx**

The next few weeks had passed rather quickly then. Harry spent some afternoons training with the Quidditch team, which Fred and George were part of too.

Ron had also befriended two boys of called Dean and Seamus from his house and spent pretty much time with them talking about Quidditch and whatnot.

Elsa had rather concentrated on studying for each subject. Some, like Charms and Astronomy, came easy to her. Then there were some that took more effort, like Transfiguration and Herbology. And then came the worst of all, Potions.

She just couldn't get her brain to remember all of the complicated procedures. It was like the words in the books were a completely different language, nothing was making sense to her.

After Potions one day, Snape had asked her to stay back. Biting her lip in nervousness, she came to stand in front of his desk.

“Miss Winters, you're failing my class.”

“I know, Sir.” Elsa answered, shoulders squared to not appear too intimidated.

“Care to tell me why? Are you just too lazy to study? Or are you distracted by some of your classmates?” He inquired, his voice cold.

Elsa immediately knew he was talking about Ron and Harry.

“No, Sir. It's nothing like that. I try my best.” She refrained from taking a step back when the professor leaned closer.

“Then maybe your best is not enough. A royal status doesn't mean you can laze around.”

The princess frowned and opened her mouth to protest that statement, but Snape wouldn't let her.

“You've been sorted into Ravenclaw, the house that is praised for its students with high intelligence. I recommend you at least try to reach the standards. You may leave now.”

Elsa bit her tongue to keep from saying something dumb. Did he really just say that?

Sure, she knew Potions was her weak class, but she didn't know how to get better. She had no idea what else to do than what she already _was_ doing.

Maybe she could ask Hermione to help her. But she was already tutoring three girls from Gryffindor, and also helping two Hufflepuffs; Elsa felt it would be too much to ask her for help.

Also, she couldn't understand how one class was giving her so much trouble when she was doing so well in the others.

She stopped walking when she heard her name being called. Harry and Ron were running up to her, appearing rather shaken up.

“Hey guys. What's going on?” She asked about their disheveled state.

“Ahahaha, nothing, really.” Harry chuckled nervously.

“Yeah, we didn't do anything forbidden or something like that.”

Elsa raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment their strange behavior.

“Alright...” she sighed as they made their way to Charms. At least she had something to look forward to now. And of course, Astronomy at midnight. If it wasn't for Potions, Wednesday would be her favorite.

“What did Snape want from you, by the way?”

“Mh. I'm failing Potions.”

“Psh, everyone is failing Potions.” Harry tried to cheer her up.

“Apparently not as disastrously as I am.” She shrugged one shoulder. “I would ask Anthony or someone else from Ravenclaw to tutor me, but they all seem to be quite busy themselves.”

“I would help you, but I'm barely passing myself.” Ron admitted with some humor.

“I'm going to manage somehow.” At least Elsa hoped so.

Charms was doing a good work of distracting her of her worries. Today they would learn how to make things levitate.

Elsa couldn't try herself yet because she had to laugh at Harry's poor attempts and Ron's horrible pronunciation. She was about to take pity and help him, but Hermione beat him to it.

“You're doing it all wrong. It has to be LeviOsa, not LeviosA.”

Ron rolled his eyes hard. “Fine, then show us how it's done if you're so sure.”

Hermione straightened in her seat, eager to show off as she held up her wand and pronounced perfectly. “Wingardium Leviosa.”

With a proud self-satisfied smirk she let the feather fly higher and higher. Professor Flitwick was happy as always about it.

It didn't last long though, when there was a loud bang from Seamus. He had seriously managed to blow his feather up.

They were dismissed soon after, and made their way to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast.

Elsa frowned at Ron's back when he started mocking Hermione.

“It's Levioooohsa, not Leviosaaaaah...” he mimicked in a fake high voice.

“Don't be so mean. She was right, wasn't she?” She spoke up.

“Oh come on, don't be like that. You can't tell me you're not annoyed by her being a know-it-all.”

Elsa shook her head in disapproval. “You are in the same house as her, you should help each other instead of making fun of her. Seriously, you're not better than Malfoy if you keep that up.” She said, evading to comment the implication she was annoyed too.

Ron's eyes flickered to something behind her. He just shrugged and turned back around to continue his way with Harry.

Frowning at that, Elsa looked behind her to see Hermione. The bushy haired girl had a rather sad expression on her face.

“I'm sure he doesn't mean it.” Elsa tried to cheer her up. Hermione just shrugged, gripping the strap of her bag tighter.

“Yeah. Sure.” And with that she left. Elsa stopped walking, eyes following her.

She couldn't just let her be alone when she was so sad, could she? Biting her lip as she tried to decide what to do, she glanced at the large clock on the tower.

It won't be a problem if she came a little late for dinner, she decided before following Hermione to a bathroom in the dungeons. Hearing a small sniff made Elsa feel a pang of sympathy. She had never liked it when Anna cried, and she saw Hermione as a friend. She didn't want her friend to cry.

“Can't you just leave me alone?!” Hermione snapped, tears streaming from her reddened eyes.

“I don't think you should be alone right now.” Elsa said, hunching up her shoulders.

Back at home, she would've hugged Anna and tickled her until the child would spill the beans. But Hermione wasn't her sister, she wasn't even sure if Hermione saw them as friends too.

The brunette sobbed quietly and sat down on the stone floor. Elsa didn't really want to sit on the unsanitary stone tiles and crouched down next to her instead.

“Is it about what Ron said?” She asked carefully.

“It's about everything. He's not the only one making fun of me. Nobody really likes me.”

“ _I_ like you.” Elsa said, handing Hermione a handkerchief from her right sleeve. She took it, wiping her eyes with it.

“Don't you think I'm a know-it-all too?”

“You are very smart. Smarter than most of our classmates. They know that and they don't like to be reminded of it all the time.” Elsa answered truthfully.

“Back at home I was bullied too. I thought here it would be different.”

“You could try to not make them feel inferior to you. Just be yourself.”

Hermione frowned down at the handkerchief. “Is it so wrong to be proud of myself?”

“Of course not!” Elsa hurried to say. “You're working hard and you definitely can be proud of your achievements. Just try to...” she shrugged, no knowing how to word it, “keep it within reason.”

“Do you think they would like me better then?”

“I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm sure they would stop mocking you if you take away their reason for it. And hey, you tutor a bunch of people, that means something too.”

The brunette sighed. “Malfoy won't stop.”

“ _That_ is a completely different matter. I'm not sure there's much we can do to stop him.”

“Easy for you to say. He doesn't bully you every day.” Hermione mumbled, fumbling with the cloth.

“I have no idea why, though. I'm only a halfblood, after all.” Elsa said. “But I won't let him bully you when you're with me.”

That wasn't going to be a big problem, since Draco tended to stay away when the two girls were together.

“Are you gonna tell me when I'm being _too_ snobbish again?” Hermione asked, looking up at her friend.

A smile showed on Elsa's face. “Sure. Come on now, let's make you presentable again so we can eat dinner.”

Just as the two were about to leave the bathroom, there was a thumping sound. As if something very large was trampling around.

It sounded quite close. Elsa and Hermione carefully opened the door to come face to face with a giant. It had grayish-green skin and, more importantly, was carrying a mace.

It roared and swung the mace, hitting the wood of the door as the girls shut it out of shock.

“What's a mountain troll doing here?!” Hermione shouted over the roaring and thumping of the club against the door, the wood splintering and breaking rather fast.

“No idea!” Elsa and Hermione were standing at the far wall, away from the door. They were caged.

The princess tried hard to think of a spell or charm that would somehow save them, but the only ones they already learned were not really made for defending or attacking.

She had to do something. But then her secret would be revealed.

“Hermione, I'm going to distract him so he gets away from the door. You have to get help.”

“Have you lost your mind?! I won't leave you alone with this thing!”

“We can't risk it hurting more students. I have everything under control, just _go_.” Elsa was surprised by how calm she sounded.

Anyways, it did the trick. Hermione nodded, determined, and waited until Elsa had the troll's attention before running through the door to get help.

The blonde gulped at the gigantic beast and waited till it came running towards her. She froze the floor under it, making the troll slip and fall heavily on its butt and back. The ice hindered it from getting up again.

Elsa didn't know what to do now. If the professors were to arrive, they'd see the ice. But they wouldn't learn ice charms until their third year. Maybe she could pull off that she had wanted to study ahead.

Watching his flailing limbs, she got an idea. She covered the soles of his feet with ice and thawed the layer on the floor. That way nobody would see it immediately and the troll was still not able to get up.

The troll reached for his mace. Elsa drew her wand from the her left sleeve and used _Wingardium Leviosa_ , managing to levitate the club into the air, out of reach.

The footsteps of several professors startled her, making her concentration drop, along with the club. It hit the troll on the head, quite coincidentally.

Professors Snape, Quirrel and McGonagall arrived just as the heavy weapon rolled towards their feet.

“What has happened here?!” McGonagall demanded to know as soon as she was sure the troll was out cold for sure.

Elsa put her wand back into her sleeve, scared to get in trouble. She concentrated enough to thaw the thin layer of ice on the troll's feet without anyone noticing.

“I... uhm, it attacked us. And it tripped over its own feet when it came at me.” Elsa started to explain, still quite shaken. It was partly the truth, wasn't it?

“I levitated the club before it could get it and well... it landed on its head just before you arrived.”

The professors didn't quite know what to say for a few moments. A tiny first-year had knocked out a fully grown mountain troll, all alone, using nothing but Wingardium Leviosa. There was a puddle on the ground from the crashed sinks, backing up the story of the troll tripping.

“And why weren't you and Miss Granger at the feast?” Snape asked, voice icy.

Elsa pressed her lips together, not wanting to say it had been because of Hermione.

“D-D-Does it really matt-t-ter?” Professor Quirrel spoke up in his stutter. “She knocked out-t, the t-t-troll.”

“Quirinus is right, Severus.” McGonagall fixed Elsa with a stare. “But Miss Winters, this was quite dangerous. However, it's up to your head of the house to decide what to do with you.”

Elsa nodded obediently, hoping Professor Flitwick wouldn't punish her. It wasn't even her fault.

As it turned out later that evening, Professor Flitwick was rather interested in hearing how well she used _Wingardium Leviosa_ instead of scolding her for being reckless. No one had been hurt, after all.

She earned ten housepoints for her great reaction and managing such a charm in a dangerous situation like this.

The next day at breakfast the three Gryffindors pestered her about what exactly had happened.

“Ssh. I'm not supposed to talk about it.” Elsa hushed them uneasily, glad she had chosen to sit at the very end of the table, where it was rather quiet.

“We're your best friends, you have to tell us.” Ron cajoled, and Elsa felt quite warm all over. They were friends, _real_ friends.

So she told them her improvised story, chuckling at their faces.

“But if it hadn't tripped you could've been dead!” Harry said with a deep frown on his face, concern coming in waves off him. “What were you thinking?”

“I don't know. But it doesn't matter anymore, it's over.” Elsa shrugged, rolling her eyes. “Don't make a big deal out of it.”

“If it had been me, I would brag about it all day.” Ron said, shaking his head.

“Then we all can be glad it wasn't you.” Harry teased, making the girls laugh.

“Oh hardy har, you're so funny.” The redhead pouted, only adding to their laughter.

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

Two weeks after the troll incident it was time for the first Quidditch match of the year; Gryffindor versus Slytherin.

Elsa watched Ron and Hermione trying to get Harry to eat something for breakfast. The four of them had grown considerably closer over the last weeks, since Hermione really tried to not act too superior.

“So you've decided to ignore my good advice.”

Elsa jumped at the voice suddenly speaking up. She turned back around to see Draco had taken a seat across from her.

“What do you mean?”

“The wrong company. Remember?” Elsa frowned.

“You mean when you heavily insulted two of my best friends after getting the third into trouble?”

Draco shrugged, playing with a napkin that was laying around.

“What's it to you anyways? I'm not insulting _you_.”

The princess leaned back a little as she observed the boy. “I don't approve of people bullying my friends. Especially not because of something like their blood status.”

“Hey, if you were raised to despise muggleborns, what would you think?” He said, brows furrowed as his silver gaze fixated on her.

Elsa didn't quite know what to say to that. He was kind of right, she realized. She only had this mindset because that's how she's been raised.

Just like Hermione, he wasn't at fault for his origin.

“Just because that's what you were told to think, it doesn't mean you have to act on it.”

“What, am I supposed to become a traitor too, so my parents can disown me, just so you become my friend? Sides, Potter already declined my friendship.”

Elsa tilted her head in question. Did he just really say he wanted to be her friend?

“I didn't say you had to become their best friend. But I'd rather have you _not_ bully them at sight.”

She looked down on her empty plate, a frown on her face.

“Do you really want to be my friend?” She asked curiously.

Draco's cheeks tinged pink, but he held her gaze. “Yes. Don't ask me why, though.”

“Well... why?” she couldn't help but ask anyways. The silver eyes rolled as he focused on the napkin again.

“I have no idea. There's just something about you. The first time I saw you I knew I wanted you to be my friend.”

Elsa blushed slightly, averting her gaze now too. But why her? She was only a halfblood to him, and he was always so mean to her friends.

And who knew what he'd do if he found out she was muggleborn?

“I can't be friends with you if you keep up your mean attitude.”

“I have a reputation to uphold.” Draco said, glaring at the napkin.

“Then I guess you'll have to decide what's more important to you.” Elsa got up then, leaving the Great Hall the same time her Gryffindor friends did.

“Elsa, tell him he's being ridiculous. He thinks he's gonna fall off his broom.”

She chuckled, slightly pitying the too pale wreck called Harry Potter.

“You're ridiculous.” She teased.

“I'm going to be sick...” Harry mumbled.

“Nah, you'll be fine.” Hermione gestured to the broom in his hand. “You got the best broom ever created, you're gonna win.”

“... Did you already have that before breakfast?” Elsa asked, not remembering Harry carrying anything when they had entered the Great Hall.

“No, it was a present. Don't tell anyone, but I think it's from McGonagall.” Harry whispered the last part.

Since there was plenty of time until the game would start, they took a detour to the pitch, trying to encourage Harry some more before he'd panic himself to death.

He was the youngest player they had in 200 years; of course he'd be worried.

Hogwarts took Quidditch surprisingly serious. Pretty much every student and all of the professors came to watch the spectacle.

Elsa couldn't quite understand how watching a few people fly around on their brooms could be so interesting.

During the last few weeks she had learned to actually fly a little, and contrary to what she had expected, she found it to be horrifying.

She was barely able to hold herself on the broomstick, and the constant fear of falling down from that flimsy thing was giving her nightmares.

So no, she didn't see a future as a Quidditch player ahead of her.

When the game started, Elsa felt her resolve to never fly again strengthen.

From what she could see, Slytherin consisted of a team of cheaters. They fouled one of the chasers, and the keeper was hit by a bludger that had been directed by one of the Slytherin's beaters.

Elsa winced as the keeper hit the ground. How was that okay? Why didn't Madam Hooch _do_ anything?

“Look, something's wrong with Harry...” Hermione pointed at their friend, who was having trouble staying on his broom.

It was flinging around and about, trying to throw him off.

“I think it's his broom.” Elsa shouted back over the loud classmates on their stand.

Eyes narrowing, her gaze fell on the professors' stand. Snape's lips were moving, dark eyes fixated on Harry.

“Snape is hexing him!”

Hermione followed the line of sight and nodded, a determined expression on her face. “I'm gonna fix it.”

Elsa frowned when she left, looking back to Harry, to find him hanging on the broom by only one hand. Her hand flew to her mouth, the other gripping Ron's sleeve.

“Is this fire?” Ron's voice brought Elsa's attention back to Snape, where a small fire had lit up his cloak. Was that Hermione's doing?

Though as soon as Snape's attention was somewhere else, Harry's broom stopped acting up, strengthening the theory that Snape had been hexing it.

He managed to sit on it again, and immediately dashed away. He probably saw the snitch.

The Slytherin's seeker gave chase too, and Elsa couldn't get herself to watch the rest of the game. Her eyes were glued to the acrobatics Harry performed on the flying stick of death with baited breath.

What was he doing? Why was he standing up? Did he _want_ to die?!

He jumped, thankfully only being a meter from the ground, and tumbled a few paces until he sat, holding his stomach.

Elsa was about to run down to help him somehow, but suddenly he coughed up the snitch right into his cupped hands.

The students erupted in cheers, loudly applauding and shouting for Harry.

Winning the first game had given Harry's popularity a gigantic boost. Everyone was swarming over him, as if he'd single-handedly slain a dragon to save the whole school.

With him, his close friends were included in the fame. The Gryffindors were pretty popular.

For Elsa, this was too much. She kept to herself whenever there were too many people around her friends.

How could the three enjoy the constant crowdedness?

The princess rubbed her temples as she sat in the library. She had tried to have a normal conversation with Harry and Ron while Hermione was tutoring someone in Gryffindor's common room.

Unfortunately a few girls from Gryffindor's second year had decided to talk to Harry then, completely taking up the boys' attention.

So Elsa had just rolled her eyes and fled to the library to get her dreaded Potions essay done.

She was already working twenty minutes and barely got two paragraphs, both of which she wasn't sure at all about.

“Need any help?”

Elsa looked up when Draco sat down on the chair next to hers. Their last conversation had been over two weeks ago, and so far he hadn't attempted to insult her friends again. He plainly ignored them.

“Are you any good at Potions?”

She had to admit, the grin was suiting him pretty well.

“You're talking to the best in class.”

“I thought Hermione was the best at Potions?”

“Just because I don't brag about it. Being on top of class isn't really seen as cool.”

Elsa smiled at that. “Well, _I_ think it's pretty cool. Especially if you can help me with this essay.”

He pulled the parchment closer to himself to read over the few written sentences.

“For a starter, you got that part wrong.” He said after a few seconds. “There. You don't just cut a mammoth root. The juices would just squirt everywhere and burn holes wherever it lands.”

Blushing, Elsa let out a breath and scratched the passage with a pout.

“I don't get why this is so hard for me.”

“Potions _is_ a pretty demanding class.” He said, shrugging one shoulder. “I like it because it just makes sense, if you get what I mean.”

“Not really. Because to me it doesn't make sense _at all_.”

Draco chuckled. “I mean that you have clear instructions to follow. And you take various different things and make something great and magical with it.” He looked at Elsa. “It's fun.”

“I'm sure it would be fun if I actually understood anything.” The princess couldn't help but smile. “But if you really have so much fun with it, you can surely help me out to not fail.”

“You're failing? I thought you were doing awesome in every class?”

“Except for Potions.”

“... Do you want me to tutor you? We could do it here every Wednesday evening, before Astronomy.”

“Really? That would be fantastic!”

Draco rubbed the back of his neck, averting his slightly blushing gaze.

**xxx**

Christmas had been approaching rather fast. With Draco's help, Elsa was starting to get better, the class was finally starting to make sense.

The Malfoy would spend Christmas break at home, as the majority of the other students did.

Since Harry hated his uncle's house and Ron and his brothers were staying too, Elsa was of course doing the same.

As curious as she was about Anna and her parents, she didn't want to risk having them lock her up.

Her past three birthdays she had spent in her room, with a piece of chocolate cake to keep her company.

Compared to that, spending it in in this magical place with her friends was sounding way better. She wouldn't tell them it was her birthday, of course. What did it matter anyways?

The past week her Gryffindor friends had been acting stranger than usual. They actually went to the library quite often. Elsa had asked if they were searching for something special, but she only got flimsy explanation that she was sure were lies.

It made her all the more curious. Since excessive curiosity was one of her worst traits, she didn't give up. She kept pestering them, but they kept their secret well.

Inwardly trying to figure out what they were up to, Elsa sat next to them as they played a game of Wizard Chess.

Harry was losing big time. Just as Elsa wanted to help him out, Hermione stepped up to the three, already dressed in her casual clothes and a winter jacket.

She asked the boys if they already found “the information”, and both of them shook their head.

Hermione spared Elsa a short glance before whispering something into Harry's ear.

Then she was gone.

“Why is Hermione allowed to know, but not me?” Elsa pouted, crossing her arms.

Ron opened his mouth, but Elsa's glare made him shut up.

“Seriously, I thought we were friends.”

“We _are_ friends!” Harry exclaimed. “It's just... we made a vow to each other we wouldn't tell a single soul about it...”

Elsa frowned. “Come on, I can keep a secret.” Oh if they knew.

The boys shared a look.

“I guess we can tell you. But you have to promise not to tell anyone.”

“I promise.” She nodded, leaning closer.

“We kinda did something forbidden.” Ron whispered.

"Something forbidden?" Harry covered her mouth with his hand.

"Pshh! We can't let anyone know!"

She rolled her eyes and nodded, showing him she understood. He pulled his hand back and continued.

"We kinda accidentally went to the third floor… the part we are not allowed in. We were hiding from Filch."

Filch was the housekeeper and he was a creepy old man. He had a cat that had a mental magical connection to him.

"We came to a locked door. Hermione used a charm to open it and we ran inside. There was a… a dog."

"A dog…? Why would they-" Harry interrupted Elsa by shaking his head vigorously.

"It wasn't a normal dog. He was as big as a house and had three heads!"

Her eyes widened. "Three heads? Wait, you're not kidding, are you?"

They both shook their heads again with serious expressions.

"Okay… so you're looking for information about the dog?"

"Not really… Well, we ran out as fast as we could. Back in our common room Hermione said that the dog was standing over a trapdoor. We asked Hagrid about the dog and the trapdoor and he accidentally told us about a man named Nicolas Flamel."

"Who is Nicolas Flamel?"

Both shrugged. "That's what we wanted to find out. The problem is, we searched the whole library and didn't find anything. So Hermione just suggested we look for information in the restricted area."

She bit her lip. "But how do you wanna do it? We aren't allowed outside our common rooms at night, and the whole day there are professors and other students in the library."

"That's kinda the problem… We have to think of something."

The boys went back to their game, leaving Elsa to think. Why would they put a giant three-headed dog over a trapdoor? In a school, none the less?

What could be so precious for wizards that they had to guard it with a monster?

Harry's groan when Ron beat him brought Elsa out of her musings. Right, she had wanted to go out into the snow.

The first few months had been taking up lots of her time, with studying especially. And now that it had finally snowed, she had every intention of taking a relaxing hour outside as a birthday present for herself.

She hadn't been able to use her powers at all, and she's felt the urge to do so for quite a while now.

Outside, there was a nice little place with stone benches, some sort of gazebo. In September she had seen it framed with flowers and whatnot, but now it was very empty. Well, except for the snow all around it.

Smiling in glee, Elsa knelt on the snow and grabbed a handful, enjoying the feelings it gave her.

She really had to write to Anna. Ask how she was doing. How all of them were doing.

“Shouldn't you be wearing a cloak or something?”

Jumping a little, Elsa turned to look up at Draco, who was all ready to go home too.

“Shouldn't _you_ be on the train already?” She countered with a smile, not getting up from her comfortable position.

She had to be more careful. A second later she would've used her powers just out in the open.

“Father is picking me up, but he's talking to Dumbledore.” He shrugged, not quite inclined to sit on the cold, wet ground.

“So instead of relaxing in front of a warm fireplace inside, you roam around outside?” Elsa smiled up at him.

“What would I want inside if you are out here?”

She couldn't help but laugh at that. “Yes, because there aren't a thousand other things to occupy you.”

“Maybe I like the snow?”

Feeling playful, Elsa formed the snow in her hands and chucked it at Draco, hitting his fine winter cloak right in the center.

At his incredulous expression she laughed more, holding her stomach.

The corners of Draco's mouth tugged up involuntarily. “You really think you can take it up against me?”

He bent down to grab more snow, and Elsa hurried to get up and a few meters away, scooping up more snow as she did so.

“Please, I'm the snowball champion back home.” She grinned, aiming for his shoulder but hitting his head when he moved, throwing off his hat.

Acting as if it had been her intention all along, she stuck out her tongue at him. “See?”

The only times she could be that playful was when she had been playing with her little sister. Her parents would never allow her to express such behavior all the time.

Being away from that felt kind of good, despite missing her family. She's never felt so _free_ before.

The two of them enjoyed their snowball fight until Draco's name was called by a Slytherin's prefect.

“Your father is looking for you.”

Draco made a face, but hurried to grab his fallen hat and slightly cleaning it up before putting it on his head again.

“I have to go. See you in January.” were his parting words.

Elsa waved after him with a smile, watching him vanish inside. Seeing the numerous windows, she felt it was too dangerous to use her powers out here.

She needed a safer place to do so, but she had no idea where.

When the snow started falling heavier from the darkened sky, Elsa let herself fall back into the fluffy coldness, closing her eyes in bliss as the thick snowflakes fell on her skin.

Calmness washed over her, making her relax completely. She's come so far, there was no way she'd let her parents lock her up again. Strengthening her resolve, she thought about what to write.

She'd write two letters. One for Anna, with instructions for her of how to actually respond to her. And one for her parents, simply telling them she was fine. She figured they've worried long enough.

The first thing Elsa did on christmas morning was to march over to the owlery. The snowy weather had put her in a good mood.

Since she didn't own an owl, she'd have to use one of the school's.

Her parents got a very short letter, that she was completely fine and happy, and would visit once she felt ready.

For Anna, she wrote about the past three months, what she had learned and so on. She even bought her a chocolate frog for christmas. Her little sister would love it.

She knew she had to get to breakfast some time soon, still she took her time as she walked back to the castle.

Her face lit up though at the sight of Ron and Harry already eating. Sliding onto the bench next to Ron, she poured herself a glass of milk.

“Merry Christmas!”

The redhead pushed a wrapped present to her. At Elsa's questioning gaze he shrugged.

“Mom sent it for you. I bet it's a pullover too.” He gestured at his own pullover, dark red with a golden _R_ on it. Harry wore the same with _H_.

Elsa blinked before a grin split her face. A self-made present? Mrs. Weasley really took the time to make her this?

She tore open the wrapping. “Remind me to write her a thank-you letter later.”

It was a pullover indeed. It was light blue and very soft to the touch, with a silver _E_ at the front and white snowflakes around the hems of her sleeves.

“It's so pretty!”

“You can thank her in person when we go home for summer. You're staying with us, right?”

Elsa paused from pulling the sweater over her head to look at Ron.

“You want me to spend summer vacation with you?”

“Well, yeah. Mom has already invited Bill and Charlie to meet you too. And you have to admit, the burrow is a thousand times better than any orphanage.”

The blonde bit her lip in thought as she finished putting the pullover on over her dress.

She hadn't even planned that far ahead. She had figured she would go back to Arendelle, because where else would she go?

“Uhm. I don't know what to say.”

“Maybe yes? Come on, you don't want mom to be disappointed, do you?”

Elsa chuckled. “I guess I don't have a choice then.”

“Damn right.” Ron grinned, stuffing his face with scrambled eggs and toast.

Pulling her braid out of the pullover, Elsa felt the fabric with a smile. “It's so soft!”

Ron shrugged. “I still think Harry's other present is way cooler.”

“What other present? What else did you get?” Elsa asked.

Harry leaned closer. “An invisibility cloak.”

“What? Really now? That's... that's amazing. You have to show me!”

Harry chuckled. “Ssh! I'll show you later. I don't want anyone else to know.”

“Mh. Probably for the better. I can't imagine the professors approving of students running around with an invisibility cloak.”

All the pranks that could be done with it. The trouble they could get into, the places they could sneak to...

“You know... the cloak would be a great help with the restricted area of the library...”

The boys stopped eating to look at her and then at each other. That would definitely solve their problem.

**xxx**

A day after Harry had told them he would use the cloak, Elsa was surprised by the boys waiting right in front of her common room.

She was immediately pulled along with them.

“What's going on?”

“You have to see this! Harry found it last night!”

Elsa was barely able to keep up with their frantic pace. Did they find out who Nicholas Flamel was?

They guided her to a pretty secluded room. It was basically empty, the only thing inside was a rather large mirror in the middle of it.

“A mirror? You make me run through the whole castle because of a _mirror_?”

“It's not a normal mirror. Come on, you have to stand right in front of it.” Harry pulled her to stand in the center.

First, she only saw her reflection. About to open her mouth, she clicked it shut when suddenly her mirror-self's hands started moving while she herself stood completely still.

She was smiling as she used her powers freely, her parents and Anna proudly standing next to her. Her new friends appeared too, everyone was amazed by her wonderful ice powers.

Her grin faded when a thought crossed her mind. Could the others see it too?

“What do you see?” Ron asked excitedly.

Elsa let her shoulders drop in relief and smiled again. “I have the best grades and get trophies for it.”

“Really now? Your greatest desire is to be the smartest one in school?”

“My greatest desire? So that's what we see in the mirror? The thing we want the most?”

Harry nodded. “I see my parents. And Ron is a very popular Quidditch champion.”

Elsa grinned at Ron. “And you laugh about what _I_ saw?”

The redhead chuckled, making Elsa roll her eyes good-naturedly.

“What about Nicolas Flamel?”

Harry shrugged, looking at the mirror. “Nothing. We might have to talk to Hagrid again.”

However, Harry's top priority was to sit in front of the mirror for the next few nights.

Elsa could understand his need to be close to his parents, even if it was only their reflections. He didn't _know_ his parents, couldn't even remember them.

Again Elsa felt bad for the lie she's made up. She _had_ parents. Who she was sure of loved her, despite their strict handling the past years.

And out of her stupid fear she just told everyone they were dead, while Harry hasn't even known his own parents and had to live in a cupboard under his uncle's stairs.

A few days later Harry was quite down. Apparently Dumbledore had brought the mirror to another, better hiding place.

He wouldn't let himself be cheered up as easily as his friends had hoped.

“But if Dumbledore said it's for the better, I'm sure it's the truth.”

“Still. That was my only chance seeing them...”

Elsa's mouth twisted from where she was walking ahead of the two boys as they made their way back to the castle from the owlery.

She wished she could make it better somehow. But she couldn't revive his parents or go against Dumbledore's wishes and help Harry find the mirror again. He really shouldn't wallow in self-pity.

She turned around to grin at them. “Do you want to build a snowman?”

Ron scrunched up his face. “A snowman? Don't you think we're a little too old for building snowmen?”

“Oh, come on. You can never be too old for that. And there's nobody out here to judge us, if that's what you're afraid of.”

The Weasley actually did a short check if anybody was around. When he didn't see anyone, he joined the two in the snow.

They ended up having quite the fun with various snowmen, engaged themselves in a vicious snowballs fight and such.

The afternoon passed quite fast like that, and all too soon night came.

“We should change before dinner starts.” Ron stated as he stood up, wiping the sticking snow from his robe.

“I can't believe how... how _different_ you are in the snow!” Harry laughed as they walked inside.

“What do you mean?”

“Oh please.” Ron came to walk next to them. “You're usually all mature, all grown-up, and you just actually played with us.” He chuckled. “A real snowball fight.”

Elsa shrugged, unable to explain it herself. She's been taught how to act from her very youth on, but the snow just let out her inner child.

“I just like the snow.”

Since the rest of the students would arrive this evening, the three sat on their respective tables again. Cho was talking about her father and how he's been bitten by a two-tailed cat on christmas eve.

Elsa's attention was on her Gryffindor friends, though.

Hermione had brought a large book with her and was excitedly showing them something.

Did she find out who Nicholas Flamel was? Couldn't they have waited until Elsa was there too? She didn't want to have to pry the answers out of her friends again.

The next morning the first thing Elsa did was to ask about the book, trying not to sound too curious.

"I found some information about Nicolas Flamel." Hermione started. "He's a 665 year-old alchemist that possessed the so called Philosopher's Stone. From this stone, the elixir of life can be extracted. When you drink it, you become immortal."

"Immortal? Is that even possible?" the bushy haired girl nodded.

"Yes it is. He drank it himself, that's why he's still alive. And we think that's what the three-headed dog is guarding."

" _And_ we think Snape is trying to steal it." Harry added. Elsa frowned.

"Why Snape?"

"He was limping a few weeks ago, after Halloween. I saw that he had a bite on his leg. I bet he tried to get past Fluffy." Harry explained.

"Fluffy?"

Ron nodded. "When we asked Hagrid about it he told us that was the name of the three-headed dog. Fits perfectly, doesn't it?" he said sarcastically.

"The name doesn't matter now.” Hermione interrupted. “We're going to ask Hagrid about the Philosopher's Stone tonight. Are you coming with us?"

At the three gazes on her Elsa could just nod.

She'd rather not get into trouble, and sneaking out in the middle of the night would definitely lead to getting into trouble.

On the other hand she was pretty curious, the story had her hooked. It was like a real adventure.

“But why can't we just ask him after class?”

“We tried that when we asked him about Fluffy. He has an easier time evading us during the day. And there are too many nosy students around.”

“And at midnight in his hut he can't run away.”

“I don't think he can run away either when we're cornering him in his hut and tell him we know about the Philosopher's Stone. It's not like he can just send us away with this knowledge.”

The trio exchanged a look.

“I guess it's worth a try. And if it doesn't work we can still go at night.”

“Sure.” Elsa agreed, happy that she'd been able to convince them to not do something forbidden for once.

Her own curiosity would've made her join them anyway, but the idea of going against the rules was making her hesitate.

Before they could go and harass Hagrid for answers, they had to get a day of classes behind behind. Herbology was one of Elsa's lesser liked ones. She didn't know if it had to do with her upbringing, but digging around with her hands in the dirt was not something she enjoyed doing. At all.

The double dose of said class was the first on this rainy Thursday. Another thing to put Elsa's mood down. It was easily melting the snow, since it wasn't cold enough.

It was hard to hide her disgusted face as she worked together with Ron on feeding some carnivorous plant with big fat slugs. She was letting her redheaded friend do the actual feeding and rather concentrated on gently petting the slippery leaves of the plant so it wouldn't bite Ron's finger off.

“Gosh this is disgusting...” The Weasley scrunched up his face as he wiped his slimy gloves on his cloak.

“Oh Ron, right next to you is a rag. Now you have to run around with this slime on you the whole day.” Elsa scolded him, averting her face in disgust when he grabbed another slug to put it in the plant's “mouth”.

“Next week we're going to take care of the younglings.” Professor Sprout announced as she walked among them to observe their work.

“They can't digest the slugs as whole yet, so we'll have to cut them up correctly.”

Elsa fought down a gag, glad when they were dismissed. She hurried to take off the gloves and wash her hands by the sink before the others were crowded around it.

Wrapping her arms around herself she stood just outside of the greenhouse, waiting for her friends to be done and join her.

Draco came to stand next to her when he left the greenhouse, sending his Slytherin friends ahead.

“Are you okay? You look ready to puke.”

“Not today. But probably next week when we actually have to _cut them up_. This is so much worse than Potions.”

Malfoy chuckled. “Well, then you're gonna be pretty disappointed when we reach the last chapter of the book. Not every potion is brewed with dried plants and powders.”

At Elsa's horrified expression he actually felt a little bad, but also amused.

“This is gonna be the end of me.” The princess shook her head, gulping to keep the queasiness at bay.

“Leave her alone, Malfoy!” Both of their heads whipped to where Harry, Ron and Hermione had just left the greenhouse.

“I'm not doing anything!” Draco defended himself with a frown.

“Yeah right, just like you didn't steal Neville's remembrall.” Harry said, glaring at the blond.

“We're just talking.” Elsa threw in.

“Exactly. So why don't you and your so-called friends just _piss off_ and leave us alone.”

“We're not leaving her alone with you.” Ron crossed his arms, stepping closer. “A Slytherin can't be trusted.”

Draco's eyes narrowed dangerously. “Says the blood traitor. No one asked for your opinion, weasel.”

“Guys, seriously, let's just-”

“I'd rather be a traitor than a stuck up Malfoy racist!”

“I'm not a racist just because I don't snuggle with mudbloods!”

And suddenly Harry and Ron were on Malfoy, the blond defending himself best he could, trying to reach for his wand in his cloak pocket.

Hermione and Elsa tried to pry them apart.

“Stop it! Have you lost your mind?!”

Just as Draco got a hold of his wand, the five of them magically flew apart, held by an invisible force.

“What is going on here?!” Professor Sprout's voice made them all jump. She looked at each of them before lifting the charm, letting them move again.

“Well?”

“They just attacked me!” Draco immediately said.

“You were calling Hermione a mudblood!”

The professor raised her wand in warning again when Draco took a step forward.

“Violence is not a way to settle arguments.” She scolded Ron and Harry first before fixating on Draco. “And hurtful words like these are not tolerated in Hogwarts.”

“Each of you three loses twenty points. And you five will get detention as soon as I've talked to the heads of your houses.”

“W-What? Elsa and I were just trying to make them _stop_ fighting!” Hermione tried to defend them, glaring when Sprout shook her head.

“I just saw you five in a heap, it's up to your head professors what kind of detention you'll get.”

It was quite unfair to the girls, but it was no use trying to reason with Professor Sprout now, as she's been in a bad mood since the week before christmas.

So they begrudgingly accepted the punishment so they would be dismissed.

Draco marched ahead after giving them another glare.

“That was so unnecessary.” Elsa said with a frown, walking behind the boys with Hermione to Transfiguration.

“You heard how he insulted us.” Ron defended himself.

“Just because you kept insisting he was trying to harm me.”

“He could have. I don't trust him, Elsa.”

Elsa rolled her eyes. “He left you alone for weeks now, didn't he?”

“Maybe it's part of an evil plan.”

“... You're being ridiculous.” The princess shook her head. “If you don't trust him, fine. But I can take good care of myself... without getting detention.”

“ _Fine_. But if he hurts you we're having the right to say _'Told you so'_.”

“Sure.”

After classes, each of them had a rather unpleasant talk with their respective heads of the houses.

Honestly, Elsa thought she had quite good cards with Flitwick.

“Look, I believe you wouldn't be part of such thing. Professor McGonagall is going to punish her students equally though, and since we can't play favorites you're going to get the same punishment as Miss Granger.”

Elsa sighed inwardly, but nodded, keeping her face neutral. “I understand.”

“You're going to accompany Hagrid tomorrow evening. He has some business to do in the forest. For my tastes it's a little dangerous to let a few first-years go in there, but I was assured that Hagrid is more than capable of making sure you are going to be alright.”

The princess tilted her head. That was actually not bad at all. They could use this to talk to him. He wouldn't be able to run away from them if he was responsible for their safety.

“Professor Sprout actually suggested that you could all help her prepare the-”

“I'm sorry for interrupting you, Sir, but the detention with Hagrid seems fair to me.” Elsa hurried to say.

She certainly didn't want to anything Herbology related for her detention. She'd rather spend the whole night in a creepy forest alone.

“I thought so, too. You don't seem to enjoy Herbology all that much, hm?”

Elsa smiled a little. “Not really, Sir. I prefer the classes I don't have to cut up dead creatures for.”

Flitwick gave a high-pitched laugh. “Yes, I expected that from a royal. Unfortunately we can't single you out from those classes, it wouldn't be fair towards the other students.”

“No, that's perfectly fine, professor. I wouldn't want any special treatment.”

“Spoken like a true princess. Here, I have something that might cheer you up.”

Elsa frowned minimally when Flitwick grabbed a tin box from his drawer and opened it.

Inside were a few cupcakes, and with a small charm he let them dance on the table.

It looked so ridiculous, Elsa couldn't help but giggle. “What a delighting charm.” She commented, even clapping a little when the cupcakes bowed before becoming immobile again.

Flitwick looked very pleased.

“It is, isn't it?” He gestured to the cupcakes. “Please, take one. My personal favorite is pistachio.” With that he grabbed the green one himself, taking a bite.

Elsa grinned and selected, of course, the chocolate cupcake.

“Thank you, Sir.”

**xxx**

“You got a _cupcake_?!” Ron exclaimed, throwing his hands up as they sat in the library later that evening.

“McGonagall gave us extra work for Transfiguration!”

Elsa shrugged apologetically. Hermione rolled her eyes.

“You two got extra punishment because you were actually fighting. But seriously, it could've been worse. They could've expelled us.”

“Oh,” Elsa said, “and the detention with Hagrid gives us the chance to talk to him about the Philosopher's Stone.”

Harry's mouth twisted to a half-grin. “Then I guess you two can thank us.”

At the deadpan stares of the girls he laughed. “Oh come on, Hagrid is cool. I think this will be a piece of cake.”

“Sure. If we find a way to distract Malfoy when we talk to Hagrid. I don't want him involved in this.” Hermione scratched something from her Charms homework.

“Since Elsa is so cozy with him, I'm sure she'd love to distract him for us.”

The blonde frowned at Ron at the jab. “Don't you worry, I will.”

With that she concentrated on her own essay, blocking out the chatter of the boys.

The next night the five of them made their way to Hagrid, escorted by Filch.

The half-giant seemed rather sad, devastated even.

“Are you seriously still upset about that bloody dragon?” The housekeeper asked, a disgusted expression on his face.

“What dragon?” Harry asked immediately, wide eyes on Hagrid.

“Norbert. They brought him to Romania... so he'd live with his own kin.”

“But... isn't that good?” Hermione asked.

“He's just a baby! What if the other dragons make fun of him?” As Hagrid blew his nose in a blanket-sized tissue, Filch rolled his eyes and turned to leave.

“They're your problem now.”

Hagrid grabbed his own lantern and led them into the woods.

“I just got him a few days ago. He was just an egg. He hatched yesterday, such a cute little baby. And then Dumbledore found out about him.” He explained between sniffs.

“How exactly did you get a dragon egg, Hagrid?” Ron asked as they climbed over a few roots.

“A cloaked guy in the leaky cauldron gave him to me. Pretty shady, if y'ask me.”

Harry slightly elbowed Elsa's side, nodding his head to Draco, who had been quietly following with a rather unhappy expression on his face.

Elsa rolled her eyes and slowed her pace.

“I have to apologize for their behavior yesterday.” She started, making Draco frown at her.

“Why do _you_ have to apologize? It's not your fault they're a bunch of asshats.”

Having spent quite some time as Ron's friend, Elsa got kind of used to those expressions. Still, that way of talking sounded horrible.

“Well, they certainly aren't going to apologize. And you aren't either, by the looks of it.”

“I have nothing to apologize for.”

“You can't blame them for not greeting you with open arms after the impression you left in the first few weeks.”

“Can we please change the subject?” Draco rolled his eyes.

Elsa sighed. “Fine. Did you get extra punishment from Snape too?”

“Uh. No, not really. _This_ is bad enough, isn't it?” He said, gesturing to their dark surroundings.

“It sure is. But Professor McGonagall gave the guys extra work.”

“Snape told my parents, so that's punishment enough for me.”

Elsa looked ahead to see her three friends huddled around Hagrid, undoubtedly asking him about the Philosopher's Stone.

“Are they very strict?”

“My father sure is. He's not gonna be happy that I brought shame on our name.”

The princess watched the mossy ground with a thoughtful expression on her face. Her father was strict too, when it came to her powers. As if he was afraid of them.

He had locked her up as if she was a monster.

She almost ran into her friends when they had stopped walking. Hagrid was bent over and dipped his fingers into a silver puddle.

“W-What is this?”

“Unicorn blood. A few weeks ago I found a dead unicorn, and another one injured just two days ago. It can't have gotten very far...” He looked around them.

“We have to find the poor thing. Draco, Harry, take Fang and go that route. We will take the other path.”

Already sensing the danger of letting those two go alone, Elsa spoke up. “Uh, I'm going to go with them. So it's evenly split up.”

“Alright then. If something happens, just send Fang.”

“If _what_ happens? Isn't this too dangerous?!” Draco glared.

“I didn't think you'd be such a coward.” Harry taunted and just started ahead, a lantern in hand.

The Slytherin followed him with a dark expression. “I'm not. I'd just rather not endanger Elsa.”

Letting out a quiet suffering sigh, Elsa went to walk in between them.

“Then just stay a-”

“We're all going to be fine. Hagrid wouldn't let us go alone if it was dangerous.”

“This is called the Forbidden Forest for a reason.” Draco said, biting his tongue.

“It's a pretty large forest, and we're not really deep in yet.” Elsa calmed him, petting Fang's head as he walked next to her.

“It's _huge_. It's gonna take ages to seek through it all.”

“I doubt they're gonna let us comb through all of the forest.”

“I can't believe they'd even send us in here first place. Forbidden Forest, sure, why don't we let a few first-years risk their lives in there?”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Would you rather chop up slugs for Sprout?”

“Ew.” Elsa couldn't hide the sound. “Let's just try to find the unicorn so we can get back to the castle. Please.”

It was blessedly silent for a while.

“Hey... isn't that...?”

The first thing they saw was the shimmering white of the unicorn, laying on the ground. It was so beautiful, but lifeless.

Only when they came a little closer did they notice the cloaked person by the creature.

Elsa gasped and took a step backwards when the man looked up, the silvery blood trickling from his chin. Had he been drinking it?

Draco gulped, immobile for a few moments. “G-G-Gonna go g-get Hagrid!” With that he swirled around and ran as fast as he could, Fang hot on his heels.

The cloaked stranger stood up from his crouched position and came closer.

Elsa had a hold of Harry's sleeve to drag him away too, but the boy was holding his scar, hissing in pain.

“W-What is it? We have to run!”

She pulled her unresponsive friend backwards until they hit a bunch of roots blocking their way. She couldn't just leave Harry alone with this thing!

Gathering up all of her courage, she stood slightly in front of her fallen friend, the ice tingling at the tips of her shaking fingers.

She tried to calm herself; if it came to it she could just freeze him.

However, a second later a huge centaur came to their rescue, chasing the cloaked figure away.

When Harry's scar stopped hurting he climbed to his feet again.

The centaur gave a cryptic explanation of why someone would drink a unicorn's blood. It was for some sort of cursed immortality.

Hagrid and the others joined them, glad that they were unharmed. They learned that the centaur was called Firenze, an old friend of Hagrid.

“... What do you mean it was _him_?” Hermione asked quietly with a frown after they parted with Draco on the stairs.

“Voldemort. Why else would my scar hurt?” Harry rubbed said scar, a grim expression on his face.

“Maybe he's not dead, just weakened. That's why he needs unicorn blood, to strengthen up. And that's why he needs the Philosopher's Stone.”

Elsa blinked tiredly when they reached the hallway she had to part with them too.

“If you really think that, maybe we should stay out of this. I'm sure Dumbledore knows how to protect the stone from Voldemort. And he will protect you too.”

“But if Snape really works for Voldemort-”

“We don't know that for sure.” Hermione clarified. “You heard Hagrid, Snape and a few other professors help protecting the stone.”

“Sure, cause that means he's completely loyal.” Harry rolled his eyes, fighting a yawn.

“Look, even if he was working for Voldemort, which I doubt, he can't get past Fluffy. He tried and failed. Let's just go to bed and let the adults handle this for once.”

Heaving a sigh, Harry nodded. Since Hagrid didn't give them any more clues, they were at a dead end anyways. There was nothing they could do at the moment.

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

A few weeks later, Elsa got a letter for the first time since leaving Arendelle.

When the owl dropped an envelope in front of her, Elsa almost choked on her tea. That was the seal of Arendelle.

She hadn't expected Anna would reply at all, the eight-year-old was way too energetic to just sit down and write. Maybe their parents would've forbidden her to.

Or worst, the letter could be from her parents, declaring her no longer their daughter.

With jumping heart and shaky fingers, Elsa grabbed the letter and excused herself from the table. Cho had barely looked up from her magazine.

Despite the lack of snow, Elsa found herself wandering outside to the stone benches. She bit her lip as she examined the envelope.

The handwriting sure appeared to be Anna's, along with the spelling mistakes in the address alone.

Elsa took a deep cleansing breath before breaking the seal to unfold the letter.

_Dear Elsa,_

_I'm so glad you are okay. Mom and Dad were really worried, they spent weeks searching for you. I had to tell them where you went, I'm sorry. I don't think they were mad, but not happy either._

_I didn't tell them you would come back, but you have to... I listened in on them talking, they will start training me since it doesn't look like you're coming back in your letter for them. I don't want to become a queen!_

Elsa sighed. She would need to settle this. She hadn't intended to leave the impression of never coming back. She wouldn't just leave behind her family forever. She just had been curious, and sick of being locked up.

_Maybe you can tell them what you told me? That you'll be back when school's out? I miss you! Bye!_

Letting out a shaky chuckle, Elsa put the letter to her heart. Anna. The image of her being forced to leave her childish wonder and excitement behind to become queen was horrible.

She really missed her little sister.

The thought of her parents just writing her off kind of made her a mixture between sad and angry. Sure, she shouldn't have left without a single word, but to assume she would leave them all behind was a little harsh.

Playing with a corner of the letter, she thought about a plan of action. She really didn't feel quite ready to face them again, not after reading this letter especially.

Maybe next year, for christmas? Could be she had sorted out the proper way to react by then.

Anna would be disappointed, but maybe if she told her about her plans it would be fine. Their parents would get another letter too, stating she would definitely come back as soon as she had the time, and that Anna won't have to become the queen. That would hopefully stop them from forcing her to quit being a child so soon.

She honestly felt even more peeved the more she thought about it. They had locked her up in her own room. Did they really expect she would just accept it and happily play their perfect little princess?

No. She really couldn't face them. Not until she was calm enough to not speak her mind so discourteously. Or accidentally hex them.

**xxx**

“This is so beautiful.” Elsa mumbled as she looked through her telescope. Astronomy really was one of her favorite classes.

Back in Arendelle they had a tower room with a glass roof that could be opened with a simple mechanism. The two princesses had spent hours up there, watching the northern lights and the stars.

“If the whole calculations weren't so hard.” Draco added, voice also in a mumble while he scribbled on his piece of parchment.

“It's not that hard.” Elsa told him, keeping her voice low as to not disturb her classmates or anger Professor Sinistra.

“At midnight my brain is not really all that awake.”

Elsa chuckled quietly, writing down a few numbers on her own parchment.

“You can't really watch the stars very well during the day.”

“Thank Merlin that the finals are during the day. When everyone is actually awake.”

“Aw, it's not so bad.” Elsa gave him an amused smile, eyes shining with the reflected stars from the ceiling.

Draco couldn't help a smile as he averted his gaze. “No, I guess not.”

“I'm really proud of you, by the way.”

“Proud? Why?”

Elsa shrugged one shoulder, noting down the position of a star. “You haven't started an argument since our detention. That was months ago.”

“I won't waste my time on them.” He frowned.

“They're just not very trusting, or forgiving for that matter.” Elsa noted. It was quite a stubborn character trait that all of her three Gryffindor friends shared.

She was stubborn too, to a level, but not as hard-headed as them.

“I don't care.” Draco's short responses showed his annoyance with the matter. Elsa suspected that he was still miffed because Harry had declined his friendship.

“Anyways, I'm glad you're trying to be civil. Really.”

“It's a truce.” He shrugged, concentrating as he looked through the telescope again. “I won't hold back if they provoke me again.”

Elsa left it at that, hoping the Gryffindors wouldn't try to poke the dragon again.

Harry and her other friends had been rather restless the past weeks. They had tried to find out more about how the Stone was secured, if it was really enough to hold Snape off.

One time they actually followed him around with Harry's invisibility cloak, just to see if he was trying anything. So far their research had been fruitless.

Elsa had tried to stay out of that, and concentrated on preparing for the upcoming finals.

Especially Herbology had costed her quite an effort. Fortunately the less appetizing subjects had passed without any – well, with only one of the students – losing their breakfast.

The tamer parts were actually interesting in theory, though the practical parts were still not quite what Elsa would call fun.

Compared to the slugs weeks ago, their current activity was a walk in the park. Literally.

They were supposed to wander through greenhouse number one and try to identify and describe as many plants as possible.

Harry and Elsa had been paired up, the latter writing down the former's descriptions and adding the name of each plant she recognized.

“You're pretty quiet today.” Elsa observed as they walked over to the next flower.

Harry shrugged one shoulder. “I thought a lot about my parents.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

The Gryffindor was quiet for a few moments. “I wish I could've gotten to know them. But... if they had died later, it would've hurt so much more.”

He sighed dejectedly, mumbling the description for the plant in front of them.

Elsa wrote it down, a sad frown on her face. “Must be horrible...” She said quietly.

“Wouldn't you know? Sorry, it must've been devastating for you...”

The princess felt her heart squeeze with guilt. She really should've thought of a better background story.

She made sure no one was in earshot before putting a hand on Harry's arm to stop him from moving on.

“Harry... there's something I need to tell you... You have to promise to keep it a secret.”

Harry's brows furrowed in confusion, but he nodded.

Elsa took a deep breath. “I'm not really an orphan. I didn't want to lie to you, but I was told to not tell anyone for my own safety.”

“For your safety? Why, what's going on?”

The blonde bit her lip. “My parents are the king and queen of Arendelle. And I'm the crown princess. Nobody can know.”

The green eyes of her friend blinked slowly. “Huh. Okay.”

“ _Okay_? That's all you have to say?”

“What do you expect me to say?” Harry shook his head.

“I... I don't know. I thought you wouldn't believe me? Maybe a little anger because I lied to you?”

Harry shrugged as he rubbed the petals of the midnight blue flower. “Can't say I'm _shocked_. I mean, since coming here I learned to ride a broom, saw a three-headed dog and met the evil wizard that wanted to kill me as a baby. So one of my best friends turning out to be an actual princess is not even in the top three of shocking news this year.”

Elsa stared at him, not knowing what to say. Harry chuckled at whatever her face looked like.

“With how you dress, talk and act, it's not really a surprise. Fred and George even call you 'princess' as a joke.”

“They do?”

“Yeah, but I think they mean it affectionately. Like a nickname.”

She let the parchment sink. “... That's... uhm. I didn't expect that. And you're really not mad I lied about it?”

“Nah. I guess I would've kept it a secret too if I was in your place. I kinda wish me being the boy-who-lived was a secret too.” he admitted.

Elsa tilted her head. “Why?”

“Snape hates me already because of it. And everybody else thinks I'm some sort of saint. Or well, expect me to be perfect. I don't want to be a disappointment.”

“You definitely won't be a disappointment. Don't let yourself be folded into their expected image of you. Ron and I liked you before we knew who you are.”

Harry smiled involuntarily. “That actually does make me feel better.”

“And I feel a ton lighter now that you know my secret... Still I'd rather not tell anyone else at the moment...”

“Not even Ron?”

Elsa shrugged. “Not yet, at least.”

“Alright... your secret is safe with me.”

It was weird to her, how she seemed to link better with the Gryffindors than with her own house. Maybe the hat had made the wrong decision, after all.

“You don't expect me to call you 'your majesty' or something like that, do you?”

Elsa laughed at that, covering her mouth with her hand to muffle it somehow. “No, please don't.”

**xxx**

Charms were really interesting, Elsa noted as she thumbed through a book on advanced charms and spells.

Originally she'd been looking for a charm similar to the one Flitwick had used on the cupcakes, but during the search she stumbled over the freezing spell. If she practiced to direct her powers through her wand, she could pretend to use _Glacius_ instead of her own ice powers, as a cover.

That way she could use them more freely without it being too suspicious. She should really try to use her powers more. With how little time she spent practicing them, she was actually scared of losing control.

She had trained so much during her time in her room, but now almost a whole year had passed without a chance to use them at all anymore.

Elsa shook her head, writing down the details of the freezing spell quickly before continuing her search for Flitwick's charm.

Anna's birthday was approaching rather fast, and since Elsa couldn't just ask the king and queen for money she had to think of a cheaper present. A few dancing paper figures were her plan.

They only had to dance once, when Anna would open the package, for a minute or two. More would be too risky, and probably too hard to do anyways.

“Ugh. It's as if they've been absent for the whole year.” Hermione announced her arrival, letting herself fall on a chair across from Elsa.

“Harry and Ron?”

“And Neville. And Seamus.” The brunette rolled her eyes. “Potions isn't _that_ hard.”

Elsa gave a half-smile, turning another page. “I kind of understand them. I can't seem to grasp it either, despite having a tutor for months now.”

She didn't want to bring Draco into the conversation since she knew Hermione wasn't too fond of him.

“Ron swears it's because of Snape, but I think he's actually a good teacher, if he wasn't so bitter.”

“It would be weird if we went one class without him insulting one of us, though.”

Hermione gave a chuckle. She leaned over the table, furrowing her brows when she saw what Elsa was reading.

“Are you looking for something special?”

“Yes...” Elsa answered distractedly, turning another page. “My... uhm. My friend from the orphanage, she's like a little sister to me, Anna. It's her birthday on the 21st and I want to send her a present. But I can't find the charm I'm searching for.”

“You do know we aren't supposed to expose magic to muggles, right?”

“They know about me being a witch already. And it's really just a few dancing paper figures to make her laugh, nothing special.”

Hermione's mouth twisted as she thought, grabbing one of the books from Elsa's unread pile.

“Shouldn't be that hard to do, if we find the right charm.” She said, opening the book.

“You don't have to help me if you're busy.” Elsa glanced at her.

“Oh please, I've been done studying for this year's finals since January. I'm actually glad about a little distraction.”

The princess smiled, happy to have some competent help in her search.

“Alright, thank you.”

**xxx**

With Ron she had bonded over Wizard Chess. Aside from the barbaric aspect to it, it was just like normal chess, a game Elsa had been taught since she had turned five.

Of course Ron had underestimated her when she had asked if he was up for a challenge. The victory had been especially sweet.

Since then the two of them played almost every day, beating each other and then asking for a rematch.

So far Ron was two wins ahead of her, and Elsa had to admit she was impressed.

However, there wasn't much time for chess games towards the end of the year, since the finals were approaching fast.

Draco had been an awesome help with Potions, so she was able to lift her catastrophic grades to an Acceptable at least.

The rest of her classes were pretty easy for her, especially Charms.

That's why she took her time to help Ron and Harry with their work, and even a few others. She and Hermione were quite busy the week before finals, splitting up their classmates in study groups, spending hours per day for a few weeks helping them with the more difficult classes like Transfiguration or Astronomy.

Hermione and her had gathered quite the collection of candy, thank-you-gifts for their help.

The supply of chocolate was what kept Elsa going with how stressful all the studying had been.

So when they finally stepped out into the sun the day after their second-to-last test, it was a special relief to them.

The game Hufflepuff versus Ravenclaw was about to start, and while it was only about the third place, it was a good distraction from the recent study stress.

“I can't believe the year is almost over.” Ron sighed. “At least the last exam is Transfiguration. McGonagall can give us extra points.”

Hermione whacked him on the arm with a book. “She won't give us extra points. They're not allowed to favor their house.”

“Psh. Snape gave Pansy Parkinson extra points, and her cauldron was overflowing.”

They had to admit, that was clear favoritism. Elsa shrugged. “You don't need extra points. Even Neville is going to pass Transfiguration easily, with how much we studied with you all.”

“Still, a little extra luck wouldn't be bad, right Harry?” He bumped his best friend's shoulder, not getting a reaction. “Harry?”

Harry had a thoughtful expression on his face. “... When Hagrid told us about the dragon egg, he said a cloaked stranger gave it to him.” He mumbled, completely out of context.

“So...?”

“Do you remember when we asked him about it two weeks ago? He said the guy had been pretty interested in Fluffy.”

Elsa frowned. She hadn't been with them when they had harassed Hagrid for the twentieth time.

Hermione and Ron nodded.

“Isn't it weird that someone is just running around with a dragon egg in his pocket, when Hagrid has _always_ wanted a dragon? That was one of the first things he told me when he picked me up from my uncle's.”

“You think...”

“A stranger offers a dragon egg to him, and asks him about Fluffy. That can't be a coincidence. Only Hagrid and Dumbledore know how to get past Fluffy.” Harry turned to look at them, eyes wide.

“We have to go and tell Dumbledore that a stranger possibly knows the secret too!”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Elsa held up her hands to stop her friends from running off. “The encounter has been months ago. If the stranger really knows how to get past Fluffy, he would've already tried.”

“Unless he hasn't had the chance yet.” Ron said.

“Snape can easily walk around Hogwarts without raising suspicion, and he helped put up the protection around the stone. I bet he's had a thousand chances already.”

“Not exactly.” Hermione's gaze made Elsa frown. “We, uh. We kinda followed him more than once.” She shrugged.

“He did get close to the corridor in the third floor, but Quirrel always distracted him. It's like Quirrel doesn't trust him either.”

“But Quirrel is supposed to be at the Quidditch pitch now... along with all the other professors and students. The castle will be mostly empty.” Harry said, excitement quickening his breath.

“We have to tell Dumbledore!” Ron exclaimed, and this time Elsa didn't stop them.

She ran with them, out of breath when they passed McGonagall's office.

“Where's the fire?” The strict professor demanded, making them stop in their tracks.

“Professor, we have to talk to Dumbledore!”

“Professor Dumbledore is not here, he's on an important meeting with the minister. You-”

“It's about the Philosopher's Stone!” Harry blurted out, catching his breath. “We think Snape is trying to steal it!”

The frown on McGonagall's face was not good news. “That is a very severe accusation, Mr. Potter. I don't want to hear any of this nonsense anymore.” She took off her glasses.

“I have no idea how you heard about the Philosopher's stone, but rest assured, it is well protected.”

When they didn't move, the professor put on her glasses again. “The Quidditch game has already started, I suggest you go there and forget you ever heard about the stone.”

Knowing it would be no use to argue with the deputy headmistress, the four of them left her office, walking the general direction of the Quidditch pitch.

“She doesn't believe us. Dumbledore's not here. I bet Snape's already past Fluffy. We can't let him get away!” Harry clenched his fists and started running, straight to the third floor.

“Do you really think this is a good idea?” Elsa asked, trying to keep up with Harry's speed.

“We're the only ones that know that he's there.”

“And what do we do when we find him? We're only in our first year.”

“I'll think of something when we're there.”

Rolling her eyes in exasperation, she kept running with them. They stopped in front of a wooden door.

“Alohomora!” Hermione's charm opened the lock.

Carefully they opened the door to find the large black dog sleeping on the floor, a harp merrily playing away.

Elsa's eyes were wide as this was the first time seeing the beast. If it woke up, they'd be _dead_ with one bite.

“Come on, you have to help me move the paw.” Ever the fearless Gryffindor, Harry carefully tried to shove the gigantic paw away.

The four of them managed to move it off the trapdoor to pull it open. It was pitch black down there, no ladder or anything to assist them.

“I'm going first. If it's safe I'm gonna give you a signal, if I don't respond, go and get help.”

“You really shouldn't just jump down there.” Elsa whispered, eyeing the black hole warily.

All of them silenced immediately when there was a shifting.

“The harp... it stopped playing.” Hermione breathed, numb with fright.

A big glop of dog saliva hit Ron's shoulders, and suddenly the black hole looked way more inviting.

They jumped in as fast as they could, the last thing they saw was the harp and the trapdoor being crushed.

The fall didn't last long, and they did land on something soft. That was pretty unexpected.

“W-What is this?!” Ron screeched suddenly as their underground started slithering around them and swallowing them with the vines.

Elsa gasped as one of the tendrils wrapped around her throat too.

“That's Devil's Snare.” Hermione explained, her shaky voice trying to stay calm. “You have to relax, or it will choke you faster.”

Ron was freaking out, because _faster_ only meant that he'd die _anyways_.

Elsa and Harry managed to relax and felt themselves be swallowed completely, falling a short distance to stone ground. Hermione was already waiting for them, shouting at Ron to just let go.

“He just can't relax!” Harry exclaimed. Hermione wrecked her brain to remember what she read about Devil's Snare.

“ _Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare. It's deadly fun... but will sulk in the sun_!” Hermione recited from memory. “That's it, we need sunlight!”

Thinking fast, Elsa pulled her wand from her sleeve, pointing it at the vines.

“Lumos Solem!”

Ron was quite shaken when he landed on the ground by their feet, gratefully taking their help in standing up.

“Phew. Good thing we weren't scared, right?” He downplayed his fear, gulping as he looked back up.

“Good thing we have two geniuses with us, Ron.” Harry told him. If this was only the first obstacle, it was bound to get worse.

With adrenaline keeping them going, the four made their way towards a fluttering sound. The dark hallway was ending in a circular, very high reaching room.

In the middle was a broom, levitating on a pedestal, while there were glimmering flying objects on the ceiling.

“Are those... keys?” Hermione squinted up at them.

“And one of them probably goes in the keyhole.” Harry concluded, gesturing to the big wooden door.

“But there are at least a million keys up there... Finding the right one will take ages!”

“Maybe they're all the same size. I could just try to grab one. Maybe we're lucky.”

“Wouldn't that be too... easy?” Elsa bit her lip uneasily.

“We have to try, we can't waste any time.” Harry said and jumped on the broom. Immediately the keys were on him. Of course it couldn't be this easy.

They sliced past him, leaving a few bloody slits on his skin.

Elsa observed the keys frantically. She could try to freeze the keys, but they were moving so fast. The fear of accidentally hitting Harry like she had hit Anna back then was too fresh on her mind. So she had to help him somehow else.

They all looked the same: Shiny and new. The door was old and rusty. Rotten.

“Harry!” She shouted suddenly, perking up.

“WHAT?!” Harry had trouble evading the sharp attacks.

“There has to be a big old key! Different from the others!”

Hermione and Ron assisted in searching for the special key. It was very hard with how the golden keys were shimmering, practically blinding them.

“There!” Ron exclaimed, and Harry vaguely flew in the direction he was pointing. There was indeed one old and rusty key, a broken wing making him slower than the others. Still it was quite a feat catching it with the golden keys swarming him.

It took him quite a while, but he managed to get the key eventually. He flew low enough to throw the key at them and kept flying around to distract the swarm of slicing keys.

Hermione opened the door, and as soon as Harry flew inside too they slammed it close. They could hear the keys hitting the rotting wood, getting stuck.

Harry got off the broom, wiping a thin trail of blood from his cheek.

“That was close.” he said, breathing fast.

Elsa fumbled with her right sleeve, pulling out a clean handkerchief for Harry to press it against the cut on his face.

Ron found the time to laugh.

“You store everything in your sleeves, don't you?”

The princess shook her head with a chuckle of her own. “My wand and a handkerchief. The necessities.”

“Only you would see a handkerchief as a necessity.”

“Is this a chess board?” Harry asked, having walked further into the barely lit hall.

As soon as his foot touched the marble tiles, torches lit up the room, revealing a life-sized chessboard that took up basically the whole floor. The figures were there too. They were about three times their size.

Behind the white figures was another door.

Exchanging a wary look, the quartet made its way over the board.

“It can't be that easy, can it?” Hermione hissed, gasping when the white figures moved, blocking their path.

“Of course it can't.”

“Look, some of the black figures are missing...”

“You don't think we have to...”

Ron gulped, eyeing the whole board. “I'm afraid we don't have a choice.”

They would have to play against the white figures to get to the door.

“It makes sense...” Hermione said as they slowly moved to stand in place of the missing figures.

Since Ron was the best at Wizard Chess, he took over the wheel, taking his place on a horse.

“How does this make sense?”

“Well, Hagrid said Snape helped create the wards. Along with a few other professors. I think that the four heads of the houses created this.”

Elsa nodded. “The Devil's Snare was definitely Professor Sprout's obstacle. And the old key among the new ones sounds like something Flitwick would come up with.”

Hermione reached her square. “And this just screams McGonagall.”

That meant the last chamber would contain a trap from Snape. If it was really him trying to get to the Philosopher's Stone, he'd have a free way now after getting through all of this.

As soon as they were in place, one of the white figures moved.

“Is this like _real_ Wizard Chess?” Hermione asked, face scrunched up.

Elsa frowned worriedly. If that was the case it would be rather brutal. That was indeed very dangerous. Just like the Devil's Snare and the slicing keys.

Ron sacrificed one of his figures to test the theory. All of them flinched when the black figure was smashed by the white one.

“I don't think this is a good idea...” Elsa shook her head, taking a few steps back. An invisible force field was keeping her in her square.

“W-We're trapped! We _have_ to play...” she gulped, eyeing the field as the game commenced.

The Weasley was doing quite good, but the white figures were also thinking far ahead. Ron had to concentrate hard to not let them harm his friends, too.

Elsa's breath hitched when she figured out Ron's strategy. She twirled around to stare up at him.

“Ron! Have you lost your mind?!”

“It's the only way to win this without harming any of you.” The Weasley insisted stubbornly.

“What?! What is it?!” Harry asked, he and Hermione watching them.

“Ron is sacrificing himself!”

“Ronald Weasley, don't you dare!” Hermione yelled, face white with fright.

He made his next move, getting the opponent's queen to the position he had wanted her in.

“You know there is no other way! Who knows what could happen if we lose?!”

Elsa covered her mouth with a shaking hand, averting her gaze. She knew he was right. Still.

“Harry, you have to end the game once I'm down.”

Ron waited for his friend to nod before making his last move. Elsa jumped, eyes squeezed close when she heard the shattering of the horse.

She had to wait for Harry to end the game before the force field finally lifted.

In a flash, Hermione, Elsa and Harry had gathered around Ron's unconscious body.

His head was bleeding from a cut, a bump already forming. Harry shakily pressed the handkerchief to his friend's wound. Elsa took it from him.

“I'm staying with him, you two have to go on.” Not only was Elsa quite scared of what could happen next, she also knew the last chamber was Snape's.

And it was no secret that potions were her weak point. If anyone could help Harry, it was Hermione.

“I can't-” Harry started.

“If you don't go, Ron's sacrifice was for nothing. I'll make sure he's okay, please just hurry up.”

Hesitating only a second more, Harry and Hermione hurried to the next door.

Elsa used that break to get her frantically beating heart back under control.

She ripped some fabric from Ron's already torn cloak and froze the balled up bloody handkerchief in her shaky hands. Wrapping it up in the black cloth, she put the make-shift ice-pack on Ron's bump.

When Elsa's heart was beating normally again, Ron started to stir, waking up.

“Uuuungh...”

“Ssh, don't move. How are you feeling?” Elsa asked quietly, not quite trusting her voice at the moment.

“Like... run over by the Hogwarts Express... Am I dead?”

Relief made her giggle. “No, you're not.”

“Then why am I seeing an angel?” It took Elsa few embarrassing moments to realize he was talking about her.

She couldn't help but laugh again.

“You're an idiot.”

“I don't know what you mean... I hit my head pretty hard. I'm allowed to say things like these.” He grinned stupidly, eyes closing partly. “Ouch...”

“Hush, you're going to hurt yourself more.”

“I can't believe you called me an idiot. I think that was the first time I heard you use such a word.” He babbled on, speech a little slurred.

“Are we rubbing off on you?”

Elsa rolled her eyes, making sure the handkerchief stayed frozen.

“I guess you are. And here I thought I would rub off on you instead.”

“Nah... I'm incorrigible.”

“Hah, see, I'm really rubbing off on you too. I don't think I've ever heard you use such a complicated word.” She teased, making Ron laugh.

A frantic knocking from the door their friends had vanished into made them both look up.

Elsa took off her cloak and folded it up quickly for Ron to use as a pillow.

“Stay.” She ordered before running over to the door.

“Hermione?” She called.

“Elsa! There was a riddle with potions and I managed to get Harry through the last door, but I accidentally spilled the potion that would've let me go back. I'm stuck!”

“What can I do?”

“You have to go back to McGonagall and get help!”

Elsa gulped. Back? Through the room with the slicing keys, somehow up through the Devil's Snare and _somehow_ past a murderous Fluffy? But she had no other choice. Harry could be badly hurt in the last room, and they wouldn't be able to get Ron back safely without help.

“O-Okay, I'll be right back!” She assured her friend. “Ron, I have to go get help, are you going to be fine for a while?”

Ron started to nod, but groaned halfway there. “Ugh yes. Just hurry.”

Elsa nodded and ran to the door they came from. The few keys that weren't stuck in the door were just floating about by the ceiling, fortunately ignoring her.

Closing the door behind her, just in case, she followed the path they had taken before. By the Devil's Snare she bit her lip. The spell that had made them retreat had long worn off of course. The tendrils were back.

A burning spell would've taken care of that permanently, but she wasn't quite sure if she could pull off a fire-related spell at the moment.

So she cast another _Lumos Solem_ to make them retreat again for the time being. She needed to somehow get up to the hole where the trapdoor had been.

Ice spread from her hands, creating a set of stairs that led right up, past the Devil's Snare to the trapdoor.

Elsa hurried past the plants, hesitating by the hole. Indeed, as soon as Fluffy noticed her scent, he was there again, barking.

She was actually scared to freeze a living being. What if that would kill the dog? She didn't want to kill Fluffy...

Remembering the harp, Elsa started to hum a random tune, a lullaby her mother had always sung to her and Anna when they were little.

She couldn't believe her luck when the heads started to yawn and fortunately very soon fell asleep one by one.

Continuing the melody, she carefully climbed the rest of the stairs and out the hole.

The stairs vanished as Elsa thawed them, not wanting to leave any evidence of her secret powers. If she had managed to keep them a secret through all this, she didn't want to fail now.

Apparently the Quidditch game wasn't over yet, since there wasn't a single soul around. Elsa began to panic. Who would she run to? Was McGonagall still in her office? Would she even believe her?

But she _had_ to believe her!

She passed Professor Flitwick's office, but it was empty too. Of course he would watch his house play.

Pushing herself, she sped past the Ravenclaw common room, taking a shortcut to Professor McGonagall's office.

Pretty close to the office, she missed a step on the stairs and let out a surprised yelp as she fell.

Her eyes squeezed shut as she waited for the impact, not even thinking about using her powers.

However, her fall was cushioned by a warm body.

“Oof!”

Elsa dared to open her eyes, being greeted by Draco's silver ones.

“Draco!”

The Slytherin frowned in concern at her disheveled state. “Hey. What's going on?”

The princess blinked once, before remembering her mission. She scrambled to get off Draco.

“I have to get to Professor McGonagall!” She yelled as she took off again, Draco hot on her heels.

“Why?”

“Snape tries to steal something important, Ron's hurt, Hermione's stuck and I have no idea what happened to Harry!”

“Wait!” He grabbed her hand, stopping her dash.

“L-Let me go! I have to get help!”

“Snape is in his office, I just talked to him a few minutes ago!”

Elsa stopped struggling. “What?”

“He asked me if Quirrel was at the game. When I said no he was in a hurry to get away.”

“Quirrel...?” So... was Quirrel the one trying to steal the stone? “I-I have to get to McGonagall. Now.”

Draco followed her again, and the two almost ran into the professor as she was just coming out from her office.

“Miss Winters, Mr. Malfoy, there's no need to run around like complete maniacs.”

“Professor, Harry wanted to stop S-... Professor Quirrel from stealing the Philosopher's Stone, so we sneaked past Fluffy and the Snare and the keys, and then Ron was hurt and-”

“Miss Winters, slow down! You did _what_?!”

Elsa wiped at her suddenly wet eyes at the overwhelming feeling of helplessness. She tried to pull herself together.

“We found out that Quirrel knows how to get past Fluffy. The three-headed dog guarding the trapdoor. We sneaked past it too, managed to get through the Devil's Snare and to find the right key to get to the chessboard.” McGonagall blanched.

“Ron won the game by sacrificing himself, but now he's hurt. And Hermione is stuck in the room with the Potions. Harry... Harry could be badly hurt too. We have to help him...”

The professor gathered her bearings rather quick. “Mister Malfoy, why don't you make sure Miss Winters gets to the hospital wing? I have to take care of this.”

Without waiting for an answer, she hurriedly walked off.

“Are you hurt?” Draco asked, guiding her to sit on a chair in McGonagall's office.

“No... just. I guess I'm scared...” she sniffed, mad at herself for not being able to hold it in.

Draco grabbed a box of tissues from the professor's table. “Here. Look, I bet they're fine. They're way too annoying to just die.”

Elsa gave a mix between a laugh and a sob. “You're an idiot.”

“Did you seriously just call me an idiot?” Draco laughed. “I didn't think you were capable of calling people names.”

“I'm getting the hang of it.” She giggled, feeling tons better already. McGonagall and Snape would take care of everything. No need to worry anymore.

**xxx**

It turned out to be alright indeed. Ron had been easily healed by Madam Pomfrey, and Harry was on the road of recovery by the time Elsa reached the Hospital Wing.

He was still unconscious, but the mediwitch had assured them he'd be fine in no time.

They'd have to wait for him to wake up to hear the full story of what happened after he'd parted with Hermione.

Elsa was just relieved that none of them had been hurt badly.

“I hope you know how dangerous your adventure has been!” Hermione, Ron and Elsa exchanged a look as they sat in Professor McGonagall's office in the late evening.

Professor Flitwick adjusted his glasses, opening his mouth but being interrupted by his colleague.

“Not to mention you acted after I explicitly told you to leave it be!” McGonagall shook her head, leaning back in her chair. The worry and shock hadn't really worn off during the few hours.

“We just had to _do_ something. And Harry saved the Philosopher's Stone from Quirrel, after all.” Hermione said, a frown on her face.

“What if you had been killed? The Devil's Snare is deadly, the keys could've sliced you up completely, leaving you to bleed out, Mr. Weasley could've _died_ in that chess game. Two of the potions were lethal. And not to forget the dog!”

“Excuse me, professors, but we didn't have another choice. You didn't believe us. And if I'm allowed to speak honestly...” she waited for the slight nod from Flitwick to go on, “... If we, four first-years, managed to get through your wards, our worries over another _professor_ succeeding were justified.”

It might have sounded a little too accusing, but it was the truth. They broke so many rules that day, who cared about being disrespectful? If they were to be expelled, it didn't matter anymore anyways.

“Miss Winters, this is-”

“But it's true!” Ron exclaimed, gulping, but forcing himself to continue. “Sure, it was tough, but we managed. If it wasn't for us, the stone would be gone by now.”

“... Indeed, Mr. Weasley.” Dumbledore's voice from the doorway made them all whip around to look at the headmaster.

Elsa squared her shoulders, prepared to defend their action again. However, it wasn't necessary.

Dumbledore came to stand next to them.

“Now what exactly happened?” He asked the three students.

“We found out that Quirrel tricked Hagrid into telling him how to get past Fluffy.” Ron started. “And with how everyone was at the last Quidditch game of the year, we figured he would try to get the stone then.”

Hermione continued. “When we reached Fluffy's chamber, a harp was playing, so we knew our hunch was right.” She left out the part where they unsuccessfully asked for McGonagall's help, not wanting to get the head of her house into trouble.

“We got past the trapdoor and landed on the Devil's Snare.”

“Hermione saved us by remembering it was shying away from sunlight.”

“So Elsa cast _Lumos Solem_ before it could choke me.” Ron explained, subconsciously rubbing at his throat.

“Then we reached the room with the keys. Since Harry is the best at flying, he got on the broom. The door was old and rusty, so we figured we needed to catch the eldest key there was.” Elsa told.

Flitwick gave a tiny nod of approval, not being able to help the feeling of pride.

“Ron is the best at Wizard Chess, so he took over the game and managed to get Harry and I to the next room, while Elsa stayed with him.” Hermione took over again.

“I helped him figure out which potion would let him continue on, but accidentally spilled the one that would let me go back over the ward. So I called for Elsa to get help, since we had no idea if Harry needed assistance with Quirrel.”

“And I went to get Professor McGonagall.” Elsa finished, vaguely on purpose so they hopefully wouldn't ask how she got back up to the trapdoor.

The deputy headmistress looked up at Dumbledore. “We found Potter unconscious in the burning chamber. He's with Poppy at the moment, we're just waiting for him to wake up. The stone is secured with Severus. There were traces of dark magic all over.”

Dumbledore stroke his beard, staring ahead for a few moments.

The three friends waited for their punishment with baited breaths.

“Well, to me it sounds like they did the right thing and heroically and selflessly risked their lives so our precious artifact doesn't fall into the wrong hands.”

“Yes, but Albus, they could have _died_.”

“They look very alive to me.” The old man gave a smile and winked at the students. “I suggest you go get some rest after this adventurous day.”

Assured by Flitwick's own smile, Elsa and the Gryffindors hurried to leave McGonagall's office in case they would change their mind about not punishing them.

**xxx**

“I still can't believe that instead of getting in trouble, we won the housecup...” Ron shook his head, looking out the window of the train on their way back.

After their last exam, the end-of-the-year feast had taken place. Actually it would've been Slytherin winning the cup.

Surprisingly, Dumbledore had announced that the four of them had earned fifty housepoints each, boosting Gryffindor enough to zip past Slytherin and making them win the housecup.

“I can't believe we didn't get in trouble at all for breaking so many rules.” Hermione said, closing the book she's been reading.

“I can't believe we're not dead. With how Professor McGonagall reacted, we shouldn't even have survived Fluffy.” Elsa chuckled.

“She was pissed that you made it sound as if their deadly traps were easy-peasy.” Ron laughed.

“That was not my intention.” The blonde leaned her head back against the cushioned seat. “... Even if it was the truth.”

“Honestly, we would've been toast if it wasn't for you two.” Harry said, green eyes wide.

“Ron won the chess game.” Elsa reminded, yawning as she gently petted her cat's white fur, making the feline purr contently in her lap.

“We wouldn't have made it to the chess room if you two hadn't saved our asses with the Devil's Snare.” The Weasley said. “It would've choked us to death.”

“We all did great.” Hermione said with a grin, looking rather pleased. “I can't wait for next year.”

“Oh god, I think we created a rule-breaking monster.” Ron joked, laughing when Hermione slapped his arm, grinning herself.

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

* * *

The first few weeks of summer at the burrow had been rather calm. Elsa quite enjoyed assisting Mrs Weasley with the household, amazed by the things the woman could tell her.

Mr Weasley had so many questions about several muggle objects. Unfortunately Elsa couldn't quite answer all of them, as Arendelle was more traditional and old-fashioned than typical households nowadays.

She didn't know how a television worked, for example. A royal shouldn't engage in such mindless activities like watching TV.

No telephones either, and the only way of traveling there was by ship.

Bill and Charlie Weasley had visited them too, both appearing to be really nice.

The eldest Weasley son was pretty mature compared to his brothers. Elsa found him to be very laid-back and calm. He was working for Gringotts as a curse breaker, traveling a lot because of that. He'd go back to Egypt once his vacation was over.

Charlie was rather energetic, enthusiastically talking about the dragons he's working with in Romania. Norbert had been sent to him, too, and he was growing nicely according to Charlie. Hagrid would be happy to hear about that.

Fred and George had quite the fun teasing Elsa with her new nickname, despite not really getting a reaction out of her.

Elsa had thought they would grow bored if she let them be, but the stupid nickname persisted.

On one hand, it was actually a pretty good idea to keep their game up. That way, if she somehow slipped up, she could act as if she was just playing along.

“It's not fair, you're two years ahead of me...” Ron grumbled after George had defeated him again.

They were practicing dueling in their garden, using their father's muggle trash as obstacles.

“If we went easy on you, it wouldn't be a challenge.” George grinned.

“Oh, and we enjoy whooping your ass, as a bonus.” Fred added, high-fiving his twin.

“Elsa, you gotta give it a try too. I bet you already read about a million spells that could kick _their_ asses for once.”

The blonde blinked, looking up from her game of Wizard Chess with Percy. One eyebrow raised at how dirty the boys were from tripping around in the mud that was their dueling field.

Percy rolled his eyes. “Get Bill to help you, we're in the middle of a game.”

He's been quite closed off all summer, avoiding his brothers mostly because they kept making fun of him for his ambitions.

Pursing her lips, Elsa moved her white figure to end the game. “Actually, I just won.”

Percy shook his head, running a hand through his curly hair in disbelief. “Not again!”

“Great, then you have time to duel.” Elsa cringed at the mud-caked hands on her shoulders.

“Roooon...” she sighed, shaking off his hands. “It's all muddy.”

“Yes Ronald, how dare you? Dirtying her majesty's precious garments with your filthy hands!” Fred pointed out.

Elsa rolled her eyes in a suffering manner. And they were on it again. “Did it ever occur to you that I don't like playing around in the mud because I'm a _girl_?”

“You don't say.” George gasp. “Our princess is a girl, did you know?”

“You don't address a princess as _Your Majesty_. That's for kings and queens.”

The princess' theory was being tested anyways, because Ginny had chosen their moment of inattentiveness to sneak up to the twins, squashing a handful of mud against the back of their heads each.

It resulted in a rather nasty mud fight, which Elsa and Percy wisely decided to flee from.

Inside, Percy excused himself to get changed into some clean clothes, having acted as an involuntary shield when the mud fight had started.

Elsa chuckled, glad she barely got any dirt on her. Since it was almost time for lunch, she washed her hands and found Mrs Weasley in the kitchen.

“Can I help you with anything?” She offered with a smile.

“No thank you, sweetie. I'm almost done.” The mother of seven continued to hum to herself.

Elsa sat at the table, looking at one of the magazines laying there. _Witch Weekly_ was one of them.

The princess bit her lip as she saw their clothing. Of course most of them, especially the elder ones, wore cloaks and robes in various colors.

The younger ones, however, wore pretty normal clothes.

She had already noticed in her last school year that her classmates were dressing quite differently from her.

Elsa just couldn't understand how they liked to wear jeans, for example. She really preferred skirts and dresses.

Still, even if that was quite normal too, her dresses were pretty old-fashioned. She never had the need for more modern clothes as a princess who spent all of her time in her room.

Maybe, if she could shorten the skirts of her dresses a bit, they wouldn't look as bad. But she had never learned how to sew...

“Mrs Weasley?”

“Yes, honey?”

Elsa hesitated. Was it okay to ask for something like this? Shaking her head at herself, she continued. “Would you teach me how to sew?”

Mrs Weasley turned around to look at her after turning off the stove.

“Of course, but I only know the basics myself, dear. Anything specific you want to learn?”

“Oh, well, for starters I would just like to learn how to properly shorten dresses?”

“You want to change your beautiful dresses?”

Elsa shrugged one shoulder, fingers playing with the corner of the magazine.

“They're beautiful, but pretty old-fashioned, don't you think?”

The woman smiled as she sat down next to her, patting her hand. “Is this about the twins' nickname for you? If you don't like I'll tell them to stop it.”

“I don't mind it all that much.” Elsa was quick to assure. “I just don't want to look so different from my classmates.”

“Well then we'll see what we can do. Sewing charms aren't that hard, if you want we can practice after lunch?”

“That would be great, thank you so much.”

**xxx**

“Still no reply from Harry?” Elsa asked when she entered the dining room and saw Ron go through the letters their owl had brought.

The redhead shook his head. “No. I'm starting to worry, he isn't the type to just ignore us... is he?”

“No, definitely not. Maybe his aunt and uncle forbade him to write us...”

Ron sighed. “This is stupid. His aunt and uncle are stupid.” He tilted his head as he watched his owl.

“If he doesn't reply until the end of the week, I'll talk to mom if we can visit him. Just to make sure everything is fine.”

“That's probably not a bad idea. If his uncle wanted to force him to stay at home last year, it's likely he won't let him go this year either.”

Coming Sunday, Elsa was working on another one of her dresses, practicing a few simple sewing charms for herself. Mr Weasley had brought her a book about it a few days ago, and Elsa was eager to update her wardrobe.

Ginny was sitting on the couch, playing with Marshmallow while Mrs Weasley was gushing about an article in her magazine.

“Aw, that's really pretty!” The youngest Weasley exclaimed when Elsa held up her finished dress.

It had been one of her plainer dresses, a royal blue long-sleeve without any patterns. At home she would've combined it with a more glittery skirt to wear over it and heavier jewelry.

She had shortened the dress to knee-length, as short as she was comfortable with, and used her book to create a few snowflake patterns on the skirt of it in a blue that was only a tad lighter. The same on the lower sleeves.

It wasn't that much of a change, but Elsa was quite happy with it. Maybe a nice vest over it, that would fit.

“Thank you.” She was really proud, having created something on her very own, without using her ice powers.

“You really have a talent for this.” Molly Weasley praised, touching the stitching.

Elsa grinned, her cheeks tinted pink at the positive reactions.

“Oh, is this Gilderoy Lockhart?” Ginny asked then when her gaze caught the open magazine. “Sheesh mom, you've been talking about him nonstop already.”

“He's got the award for the most charming smile again.” The adult stated in a dreamy voice. “Just look at him. He's going to sign his books at Flourish & Blotts next Wednesday, so that's when we'll go buy your school things.”

Ginny and Elsa exchanged an amused grin at how Mrs Weasley was acting.

“Don't let dad know that you're crushing on someone else.” the girl teased.

“Like you're crushing on Harry?” Elsa giggled when Ginny became as red as her hair and chucked a pillow at her.

Speaking of Harry, the boy still hadn't replied to their letters. So when one morning Mrs Weasley had a little fit, Elsa was already suspecting what had happened.

“Elsa, sweetie, do you have any idea where Ron and the twins are?”

The princess blinked from her place on the stairs, where she had come down to investigate.

“Uhm. We were pretty worried because we didn't hear a word from Harry. We suspected his aunt and uncle probably keep him from coming to Hogwarts this year.” She explained. “I thought he wanted to ask you before going to visit him.”

For a moment it looked like Mrs Weasley would explode, but a few deep breaths later she calmed down.

“Alright. Could you do me a favor? I want you and Ginny to stay in your room when they come back. I'd rather not have you two hear what I have to say to them.”

Sensing the danger, Elsa nodded quickly before fleeing upstairs again.

They spent the early morning talking about Hogwarts. Ginny wasn't as clueless as Elsa had been, given she came from a purely magical family and had six older brothers.

Their discussion about the dangers of Quidditch - “It's not dangerous if you're good at it” - was interrupted by Mrs Weasley's yelling.

“Looks like your brothers arrived.” Elsa winced.

“Do you think they really visited Harry?” Ginny asked, dark eyes wide.

“Let's wait until your mom is done yelling, and then we can ask them.”

Poor Ginny almost got a heart attack seeing Harry sitting at the breakfast table later. Not even able to say a single word, she vanished upstairs again to get dressed.

Elsa sat down next to him, happy to see him.

“I didn't know they planned on kidnapping you.”

Ron took a bite from his toast. “We _had_ to. There were _bars_ on his window!”

“Bars?!”

Harry nodded, shrugging one shoulder with unease.

George nudged him with his elbow. “Hey, at least now you _have_ a window, right?”

The boys laughed, while Elsa shook her head. Boys.

“Wait, how did you get him?”

“You remember dad's old Ford Anglia?”

Blue eyes widened. “You just drove a flying car all the way to Surrey?!”

“Geeze, princess, we've already had our lecture.” Fred rubbed his ear.

No wonder Mrs Weasley had freaked out. At least they had waited for nightfall before endangering their lives like that.

Later that day they were by a calm secluded lake, more like a pond really, enjoying the August sun.

“Come in, the water's nice and cool!”

“Uh, no. I'm quite happy here.” Elsa called back from her shady place under a tree with a book.

The heat was quite getting to her, if she was honest. Back in Arendelle it's always been rather cool, even in summer, but here she felt like melting whenever she was right in the sun.

“The water's not _that_ dirty, princess.”

“It's not that.” Elsa turned a page. She actually felt a tiny bit ashamed that she didn't know how to swim.

She was sure she would've learned it if the incident hadn't happened. You didn't get many opportunities to swim if you're locked in your room.

Movement from the lake caught her attention, and without thinking twice she jumped to her feet and began running.

Spending so much time with the Weasleys she knew they were planning to just throw her into the water.

She couldn't help but grin though at their laughter coming from the pond.

**xxx**

“Where's Harry?” Elsa asked, dusting herself off and wiping some ash from her cheek.

He had been right behind Ron when they flooed to Diagon Ally.

“No idea. Maybe he flew one or two grates further.”

Molly Weasley ushered them out on the street and straight to Flourish & Blotts. “We will find him later. Hurry up, I don't want to miss Gilderoy Lockhart!”

“Oh moooom. It's gonna be all stuffed in there.”

“We're gonna get Ginny's wand with her.” Fred and George immediately offered.

Mr Weasley patted Ron's shoulder. “You can join me get her a cauldron. Maybe we find Harry on the way.”

“Are you coming with us, Elsa?” Ron asked, but the blonde shook her head.

“I wanted to buy some extra books.”

“Good, good, come on!” Smothering a laugh into her hand, Elsa let herself be dragged along by Mrs Weasley towards the book shop.

Inside, the woman was immediately charmed by the man with the self-loving grin signing one book after the other.

Elsa squeezed through the crowd to the stairs that led to the upper level. There it was blessedly empty.

Since she planned on going back to Arendelle next summer and would have more than enough money then, she felt better accepting the trolls' financial support. She could pay them back next year, after all.

Aside from the books, she didn't need anything new for the upcoming school year. She wouldn't need a broom since she never planned on playing Quidditch, and her robes from last year still fit.

So she could spend the money on books. Like one about advanced sewing charms.

There was also one all about ice charms, which she found a reference to when she was looking for something else.

Her goal the upcoming year was to actively practice using her powers as casual as possible without anyone noticing it was _not_ normal magic. As far as magic was normal.

The tricky part would be to keep her wand from freezing in her hand. Would her wand even be able to withstand her ice?

When Elsa finally found the book she was searching for, she was faced with the next problem; her size.

Pouting up at the shelf just out of her reach, she sighed. There were no ladders around, probably because the fan-crazed witches downstairs were using them to get a glimpse over the crowd at their prized hero.

She could wait for Ron, ask him to get it for her. But who knew when her friend would arrive? Patience wasn't really one of her strengths.

Experimentally she stretched up, the tips of her fingers barely able to touch the book. No way she could pull it down. Maybe she could use-

Suddenly there was a hand, grabbing the book with ease and holding it out to her.

Elsa smiled when she saw it was Draco.

“Thanks. If I didn't know any better, I would think you were stalking me.”

The Slytherin chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Coincidence.”

“Yes of course. That's why you're always there when I need help.” Elsa laughed, holding the books to her chest.

“Maybe I'm your guardian angel. You could really use one with your trouble record.”

“Believe me, I don't need a guardian angel. I can take good care of myself.”

“Uh yeah, do I have to remind you of our last school year?” Draco teased, a grin on his face.

“That was not entirely my fault.” Elsa defended herself, lightly pushing at Draco's shoulder.

“I'll have you know that I plan on _not_ getting into trouble this year.”

“Well, if you do anyways, you know where to find me.” He averted his gaze, rubbing his neck again.

“So uhm...”

“Yes?”

“Do you still want me to tutor you? Potions is not going to get easier.”

His hopeful silver eyes met amused blue ones.

“We'll see how it goes, I'd say. But I doubt I became a potions crack during the summer, so it's likely I'm gonna need help.”

His grin was basically lighting up the room. Realizing he was behaving like fool he cleared his throat, running a hand through his slicked back hair.

“How was your summer, by the way?”

Elsa fiddled with the corner of the book. “It was wonderful. Mrs Weasley taught me a few sewing spells. Look, I changed one of my old dresses into this.”

She gestured at herself, wearing a long-sleeved deep maroon dress, with golden stitches indicating a belt around her midriff.

The skirt ended just at her pale knees.

“It looks fantastic. I didn't know you were into sewing.” Draco said, blushing.

“I didn't know either. But it's really fun playing around with ideas.”

“I'm sure it is.”

“What about _your_ summer?”

They were interrupted by Draco's name being called. A tall man with long blond hair exact the same shade as Draco's and a strict aura around him was standing by the stairs.

His own silver eyes were grazing over Elsa calculatingly. Draco was quick to say goodbye then, joining his father and urging him to leave.

The younger Malfoy noticed the whole Weasley family and Potter glaring at them and returned the glare out of spite. He didn't even do anything and yet they treated him like he was scum.

“Who was that girl, Draco?” Lucius asked when they stepped out in the sun.

Draco could've cursed himself then and there. If he hadn't spent so much time up there, his father wouldn't have come looking for him.

“Just some girl from school I tutor in Potions.” He said, acting as if it wasn't that big a deal. “She's just a friend.”

“Oh, really.” Draco knew this tone and inwardly rolled his eyes.

“And I thought your mother has lost her mind when she told me there was a girl.”

“I don't know what you're talking about, father.”

“Please don't waste my time, Draco. Do you really think we wouldn't notice your exceptionally good mood?”

Draco was quiet. He had been smiling more, so what? He was surprised though that his parents had noticed it too.

When Lucius realized his son wouldn't give information willingly, he pursed his lips.

“Name?”

The boy sighed. With his father being the school governor he'd find it out sooner or later anyways, now that he had a hunch. “Elsa Winters.”

“Winters... Hm. Doesn't ring a bell. Though, her composure is flawless. Not something you see in every teenage girl.”

“She's in Slytherin?”

Draco shook his head, eyes trained ahead. “Ravenclaw. But the hat almost put her in Slytherin.”

“Interesting. Pureblooded?” There was the question Draco had been dreading.

Lying was no use, his father would get the information himself as soon as he was in Hogwarts if he didn't tell him now. Not to mention he knew the majority of pureblood families in Britain personally.

“Uhm. No. She's a halfblood.” Already seeing his dad's nose scrunch up in disgust, Draco bit his lip.

“But her father was the muggle, she takes wholly after her mother. They died a few years ago, so she has to live in an orphanage.”

Maybe his father wouldn't look too much into it. And maybe Elsa wouldn't find out how he had to bend the truth. Though, for all he knew, it could be the truth. Elsa never really told him anything about her family.

“I see. Well, I have many things to do in Hogwarts this year. Perhaps I can get to know her a little better, then.”

That was something Draco definitely wanted to avoid.

Back in the bookshop, Elsa found the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione on the lower level, each of them appearing to be in a rather bad mood all of a sudden.

“What's going on?” She asked, brows furrowed.

“We found out where Draco Malfoy got his oh so charming nature from.” Ron mumbled grumpily.

Elsa thoughtfully left it at that. Her friends didn't really approve of her friendship with Draco, so she tended to avoid the topic if she could help it.

She went to pay for her books, careful to avoid being trampled by giggling middle-aged witches.

Drowning in this crowd was making her nervous. So many people. She had the urge to just freeze them all to have some breathing space.

Inwardly jumping at that random dark thought she shook her head, squeezing her way through the witches to where Mr Weasley was standing, talking to one of the employees and what appeared to be Hermione's parents.

“Mr Weasley, I forgot I need something else for the upcoming year. I'm going to get it and meet you back here in twenty minutes?”

“Ah, don't worry, we'll be here for at least another hour.” Arthur reassured her, gesturing at the long line in front of Lockhart's table.

“I think Ron and Harry wanted to look at a few brooms with Ginny and the boys.”

“That's fine, thank you, Sir.”

Elsa hurried to get out of the stuffed building, taking a deep cleansing breath of relief once she could move freely again.

It was quite good that the boys had taken off to somewhere else, so she wouldn't have to explain where she was going.

Biting her lip, she took a second to orientate herself before making her way to Ollivander's.

The man was just saying goodbye to a first-year and her mother when she stepped in.

“Oh, good morning. Is something wrong with your wand?”

“Good morning, sir. No, everything's fine. I just had a question about wands I was hoping you could answer.”

The man blinked in surprise, though he eagerly leaned forward on his desk, smiling.

“Of course. How can I help you?”

Elsa returned the smile, thinking about how to word the question without giving anything away.

“I was wondering... how resistant a wand is. As in, how temperature sensitive are they?”

“Well, they're not exactly sensitive when it comes to temperature. Those with a phoenix feather as a core are especially resistant to heat, for example.”

The girl nodded. “What about the cold?”

Ollivander laughed. “Don't worry, your wand will survive in the winter temperatures. Unicorn hair cores adapt easily to temperature changes.”

Careful to keep her face neutral, Elsa tilted her head slightly. “I was more thinking about colder temperatures. Like... if the wand falls into a frozen lake and freezes over, for example.”

The man frowned. “Any specific reason you want to know?”

“I... I'm just very interested in freezing spells and I'm a little worried that I could accidentally break it during practicing.”

“Mh... show me your wand.”

Elsa obediently pulled her wand out of her sleeve and handed it over to the wandmaker.

Ollivander observed it after adjusting glasses on his nose, turning it around in his hands.

“Did you know that cherry is a rather rare wand component? It's pretty strong, and the owners are often very powerful. Dragon heartstring hampers the nearly lethal powers it can possess, though only few can control a wand made of cherry.”

The princess listened attentively, though it actually scared her a little. Ollivander continued with his examination.

“I didn't know what possessed me to pair unicorn hair with cherry all those years ago. Unicorn hair wands are very faithful to their owners and the least likely to turn to the dark arts.

It's said that unicorn hair doesn't make very powerful wands, however, paired with such strong wood as cherry...”

He handed the wand back to Elsa's hesitant fingers. The princess looked it over with a thoughtful expression before storing it back in her sleeve.

“You shouldn't have any problems with extreme heat or cold. Anyways, you definitely shouldn't practice dangerous spells on your own. Maybe you can ask one of your professors to help you.”

That was not very likely, but Elsa was glad about the outcome of her visit.

“Thank you for your help, sir.” She smiled gratefully and left the shop.

**xxx**

“Mom, we have to go! The train will leave soon!” Ginny whined, fighting to escape her mother's embrace.

Mrs Weasley reluctantly let her go and got a hold of Elsa instead, who stiffened slightly by the gesture.

“Take good care of my baby, Elsa. Will you?” The princess smiled when Mrs. Weasley let go of her and nodded.

“Of course. She's like my little sister.”

As the adult blew her nose and bade her last goodbye, Elsa grew quiet. She started to regret not going home for summer. Not because of her parents, but because of Anna.

Her _real_ little sister, who she loved very dearly, and missed greatly. Despite not really having _seen_ much of her after the accident, Elsa knew she was there.

Their late-night conversations about whatever came to their minds were a really good way of bonding. And not having talked to her for a whole year now was pulling on her heartstrings.

It made her feel guilty, too, because up until now she hadn't really thought about Anna. She had enjoyed being free and a normal kid all summer.

She wouldn't be able to go back to sitting in her room all day.

Elsa blinked herself out of her trip down memory lane when the train's horn blared, signaling its departure.

“Hurry!”

Inside the train, the two girls made their way through the compartments, searching for their friends.

They found Hermione among the last compartments, her cat Crookshanks in her lap.

“Aren't Ron and Harry with you?” Elsa asked as she sat down across from Hermione.

“I thought they were with you?”

The two second-years exchanged a look. “Do you think they're in trouble?”

“Let's give them some credit, maybe they're just in another compartment with Seamus and Dean.”

Ginny giggled. “Yeah, doing icky boy stuff.”

Elsa frowned. “Icky boy stuff?”

“Yeah, like picking their nose.”

The older girls scrunched up their faces. “Ew.”

“Fred and George said all boys do that.”

“Please, I don't know about your brothers, but Harry wouldn't do such a disgusting thing.” Hermione rolled her eyes.

Fighting to get the mental image out of her mind, Elsa grabbed a book from her bag.

When the train stopped hours later, the girls were getting worried. There was still no sign of their friends.

While Ginny was led away with the other first-years by Hagrid, Hermione and Elsa followed their classmates to a few magically moving carriages.

“Did you see them leave the train?”

“No, and they weren't with Dean and Seamus either...” Hermione frowned as she kept looking around for Harry and Ron.

“... Maybe they were the first to leave the train?”

“Unlikely.”

Elsa sighed. “Then we stick to the theory of them being in trouble.”

“I just hope they arrive before classes start.”

Their ride to the castle was filled with chatter, as two other Gryffindors were sitting with them.

“Oh great...” Elsa followed Hermione's glare and couldn't help but smile at the sight of Draco by the main gate.

His father was with him, talking to Snape. As soon as he saw them, Draco walked over and held out his hand to assist Elsa in getting off the carriage.

Hermione rolled her eyes and went inside with the other Gryffindors.

“Thank you.” Elsa tilted her head. “I didn't see you on the train.”

Draco shrugged and glanced over to his father, who was still talking to the professor.

“I apparated with father.”

“You did _what_?” The princess frowned in confusion.

“Apparating. It's like, uh, beaming? You vanish from one place and pop up at the place you want. It's cleaner and faster than flooing, for example.”

“Sounds pretty handy.”

“It is. We get to take a course in our sixth year. You can't apparate directly into Hogwarts, but in Hogsmeade there is an apparition point.”

He gestured to the general direction of the nearby village.

Elsa nodded in understanding. “I'd definitely prefer that over flooing.”

Draco chuckled and opened his mouth, but clicked it shut when his father appeared next to him.

The man's eyes were locked on Elsa, an indefinable expression on his face.

The princess held her head high as to not show she was indeed a little intimidated. Out of habit she did a small curtsy, amusing the adult.

“What's your name, young lady?”

“Elsa Winters, Sir.”

“Tell me, where did you-”

“Lucius, just the man I wanted to talk to.”

The dark silver eyes narrowed at the headmaster's tone. “Professor Dumbledore, I was just talking to young Miss Winters-”

“I don't think Miss Winters has time to chat, Lucius. The feast is about to start and I wish for _all_ my students to attend.”

The old man gave Draco and Elsa a pointed look, and while Elsa was quite confused about it, Draco jumped the opportunity and grabbed the girl's arm, dragging her off to the entrance of the castle.

“What was that about?”

“My father can be pretty nosy. I bet he's miffed because Snape wouldn't budge and didn't tell him what he wanted to hear.”

“... And what _did_ he want to hear?” Elsa frowned.

“Uhm. He was a little curious about you, but Snape said there wasn't anything to tell about you.”

Blue eyes widened. “About me?”

What's going on? Why was her friend's father taking an interest in her?

A blush crept on Draco's face and he avoided looking at her. “H-He saw us at Flourish & Blotts and he's very curious when it comes to my friends who aren't in Slytherin...”

Elsa blinked. It sounded kind of weird, but her own father would want to know who she spent time with too, so she didn't think too much about it. She only hoped Snape wouldn't tell him about her royal status.

“He's quite overprotective.” She observed, noting how relieved Draco seemed to be.

“Yes. Kind of.” He indicated for Elsa to enter the Great Hall first, following her when she was past him.

They parted by the Ravenclaw table, this year their tables were right next to each other on the left side of the hall.

Elsa sat so she could watch the Gryffindor table on the far right side. She caught Hermione's gaze, but their friends were still nowhere to be seen. They should definitely ask Dumbledore, or McGonagall.

But that would have to wait until after the feast.

The sorting took up quite some time. The wondrous faces of the first-years were really cute. Elsa wondered if they had looked the same last year.

Ginny, as expected, had been sorted into Gryffindor.

One of the new Ravenclaw girls was Luna Lovegood. She was wearing a necklace made of butterbeer caps over her robes. That made most of the others look weirdly at her.

“That's an interesting necklace.” Elsa noted, hoping to engage the quiet girl in a conversation.

She remembered last year, when she couldn't quite bond with her classmates and how grateful she was Cho had talked to her.

Luna smiled and tapped one of the caps. “Thanks. It's a lucky charm that protects me from Billywigs.”

Elsa blinked. “What are Billywigs?”

“Oh, they're quite common in Australia, but there are lots of them in Britain too.” Luna started, nibbling on a piece of bread. “They're blue insects. When they sting you, you will suffer from giddiness. And then you'll levitate.”

Ignoring the snicker from Becky and Cho next to her, Elsa nodded.

“And how do the caps keep them away?”

Luna tilted her head, smiling. “If you believe in it, it just does.”

Elsa found herself returning the smile. That was such a refreshing view on things. And definitely better than whatever boy-chatter her classmates were keeping up.

The first-year pulled out a magazine she had stored in her robe and showed it to Elsa. “Have you heard of Crumple-Horned Snorkacks?”

**xxx**

After the feast, Luna was following the new prefects to their dormitories. Elsa and Hermione lingered by the professors, waiting for a lull in a conversation between Dumbledore and McGonagall so they could ask about their friends.

“Professor McGonagall? We wanted to ask if you know where Harry and Ron are?”

The strict professor shook her head slightly. “Mister Potter and Weasley were sent to bed without dinner tonight. I can tell you that they are fine. You're going to have to ask them themselves about the details.”

The girls shared a frown and turned to leave. They were among the last ones in the Great Hall.

“I wanted to ask Dumbledore something, I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast.” Elsa sent Hermione ahead before walking back to the headmaster.

“Professor Dumbledore? There was something else I wanted to know.”

The old man smiled and gestured for her to go ahead.

“I was wondering why you stepped in when Draco's father talked to me.”

The headmaster gave a tiny nod and shortly closed his eyes. “Lucius Malfoy is a man who shall not be trusted. Everything he does has a reason. When he talks to someone, he manipulates them into telling them everything he wants to know.”

Elsa nodded in understanding. “So... if he kept talking to me, I probably would've told him I'm a princess?”

“Subconsciously of course, but he would've gotten the message. Usually I don't tell my students to lie, but in this case evading the truth is the better solution, I believe.”

The blonde bit her lip, but nodded again. So this was what she'd been warned about. People that would try to gain something from her royal status if they knew.

Not to mention she had a way more important secret to keep.

“I understand. Thank you, professor.”

The man put a hand on her shoulder, giving her a knowing grin.

“I've noticed you and young Mr. Malfoy get along quite well?”

Elsa blinked in surprise. “Yes. He tutors me.”

The professor had a very amused expression on his face. “I'm sure to him at least it appears to be more.”

She turned around to follow Dumbledore's gaze to where Draco was standing by the entrance to the hall. As soon as the Slytherin noticed they had seen him he pretended to observe his fingernails.

Covering her mouth to hide a chuckle, Elsa turned back around.

“You have a great influence on him. Maybe someone like you can help healing his tainted heart.”

Frowning, Elsa was about to ask what he meant by that, but Professor Sprout was demanding the headmaster's attention.

Instead, Elsa said goodnight and made her way to where Draco was still pretending to be engrossed by his fingernails.

“Can't find your way back to your common room?” Elsa couldn't help but laugh at the way Draco jumped.

He rubbed the back of his head with reddened cheeks as they walked side by side.

“I thought I'd bring you to yours. What... what were you talking about with Dumbledore?”

Elsa glanced sideways at him, fighting to hide a smirk.

“Oh, nothing special. About school, the usual.” She said nonchalantly.

“... Okay I guess.”

They walked in silence for a few moments. Draco bit the inside of his cheek, trying to think of what to say.

“I'm going to try out for our Quidditch team this year.” He randomly stated.

“What's it with you boys and Quidditch?” Elsa shook her head with a smile. “I'm so glad the flying lessons are over.”

“You _don't_ like flying?”

The princess shrugged. “I've thought I would, but then I found out I'd rather shave my head than to fly on a stick of death again.”

She fiddled with her braid. “Controlling it is pretty hard.”

“It's not that bad actually. And once you get the hang of it it gives you a beautiful sense of freedom.”

Elsa tilted her head at the wistful tone. “And you use that freedom to wrestle in neck-breaking heights with others? Willingly?”

“It doesn't sound as cool when you put it like that.” Draco chuckled. “I was more hoping for a reaction like, 'Oh Draco, you're going to look so good on that broom wearing the uniform and winning every game!'.”

“I don't sound like that!” Elsa couldn't help but laugh, covering it up with the back of her hand. “Besides, you're not gonna look good anymore with bruises all over you.”

“So you think I look good _now_?” Draco's smirk was making Elsa laugh more.

“There's my common room.” She diverted the topic. “I'll see you tomorrow in class, Quidditch champion.”

With an amused smile she vanished behind the door that would lead her up the tower to the Ravenclaw's common room entrance, her heart thumping.

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

* * *

Since Luna would be escorted to breakfast by the prefects, Elsa made her way to the Great Hall alone. Fortunately her Gryffindor friends were already there.

She sat down next to them, immediately asking where they've been the previous day.

“You did _what_?! Have you lost your mind?!” Elsa exclaimed after hearing the story of how Harry Potter and Ron Weasley stole Mr. Weasley's flying car to get to Hogwarts that way.

“See, I told you Elsa would react the same way.” Hermione said absentmindedly, scribbling on a piece of parchment.

“We didn't have another choice! The brick wall wouldn't let us through!”

“How about telling your parents, for example?”

Ron rolled his eyes, while Harry at least had the decency to look a little ashamed.

“They didn't expel you, did they?”

“Snape wanted to, but since McGonagall is responsible for us, we only got detention.” Harry said, grabbing a piece of toast.

“She hasn't decided what exactly yet, but I'm sure it's not gonna be a piece of cake.”

Ron shrugged, swallowing a mouthful of egg and bacon. “If Flitwick was our head of the house there would probably be cake involved.”

Now it was Elsa who rolled her eyes. “It was one cupcake, Ron. And only because I didn't really _do_ anything to deserve the detention.”

“Yeah sure.”

“I can't believe we're lucky enough to have DADA in a few hours already.” Hermione sighed dreamily.

Today's schedule would start with two hours of Herbology. Then Gryffindor and Hufflepuff would share a DADA class while Ravenclaw and Slytherin had History of Magic together.

After lunch it would be the other way around with DADA.

“I don't get why you like him so much. I've thumbed through one of his books, he seems pretty shady to me...” Elsa said, shaking her head.

“You can't take everything literally. A great wizard doesn't make a great author automatically.”

Elsa looked up when the first-years were led into the hall. “I'll see you in Herbology later.” She excused herself and made to sit by the Ravenclaw table next to Luna.

“Good morning. How was your first night here?”

“It was really nice. Our beds are very comfortable.”

Compared to normal beds, yes, Elsa thought to herself. Despite enjoying her life outside of the castle so far, she had to admit her king-sized bed there was the best.

“You don't have to sit with me if you rather eat with your friends.”

“Huh? No, I want to eat with you. Hermione is just fangirling about Lockhart again.”

“My dad says he's lying whenever he opens his mouth. I'd rather build my own opinion.”

Elsa nodded. “That's a good stance.”

Luna smiled at her.

**xxx**

Herbology hasn't really gotten any less disgusting, Elsa noted as she pulled the mandrake out of the old pot, the soil flying around.

The princess grimaced at the sound it made, even through the earmuffs.

Why couldn't they make Herbology the last class of the day? Then they could at least take their time getting cleaned up.

There was no chattering either, since the cries of the mandrakes was making it impossible to hear anything.

Fortunately Professor Sprout let them go early so they could get properly cleaned up before their next class. That was especially important for the majority of the girls who were charmed by Lockhart's looks.

In History of Magic, Elsa took a seat at the front left side. She had been sitting there last year next to Anthony Goldstein of her house.

Two Hufflepuffs had been behind them. This year, however, they shared the class with Slytherin. So Draco made a point of sitting behind Elsa, glaring at Anthony.

The princess didn't quite acknowledge it, since she was paying attention to Professor Binns' dragging voice.

As dry as the subject was, she wanted to get good grades. It was enough she was letting Potions and Herbology slide.

“Do you have some extra ink I could borrow?” Anthony whispered when they were told to copy a paragraph from their book.

Elsa rummaged through her bag for an extra pot of ink and smiled at her classmate when she handed it over. “Here you go.”

“Draco, you're ripping your parchment!”

Both Ravenclaws turned around at Pansy Parkinson's voice. Draco was indeed putting too much pressure with his writing, a big patch of ink and a rip where he was stabbing the parchment with the quill.

The Slytherin was glaring at it and almost looked like he wanted to just swipe everything off his desk.

Elsa frowned in confusion at his behavior, but the professor approaching had her turn around again to do as he had told.

Instead of waiting for her after History of Magic, Draco and his classmates had gone ahead to the Great Hall. Elsa wasn't interpreting too much into it, though found his behavior to be quite weird.

Anthony was talking to her about one thing or the other, and even sat with her during lunch. However, when Luna arrived with her magazine, he scooted a little closer to his other friends.

Elsa didn't approve of that, but who was she to judge? She wouldn't force anyone to spend time with her.

Luna told her dreamily about her very first Charms lesson, sounding quite happy with Professor Flitwick.

The quiet lunch time was interrupted by a horrible screeching sound. Elsa whipped around to watch Ron getting yelled at by a red letter.

“What the...”

“This is a howler.” Luna explained. “Sounds like his mother isn't too happy.”

Oh wow. Elsa blinked. As great as magic was, getting yelled at by a letter wasn't funny.

Though of course Mrs. Weasley was right to scold them for the damage they've caused.

Their first DADA lesson wasn't what Elsa had expected. They were told to clean up a mess a few pixies had caused for the better part of the hour, and then they were to take a test for Lockhart to gauge their knowledge.

“What the heck?” Anthony hissed next to her. “The questions are all about him!”

Indeed, the test consisted of questions about Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color, his favorite charm, and so on.

Elsa inwardly sighed as she tried to fill in the blanks, but all she did was wild guessing. Who knew what his very first pet was called?

There were several murmurs and whispers all around them, their classmates equally confused and some of them pretty annoyed.

Feeling eyes on her, Elsa looked up to find the professor observing her. Furrowing her brows, she tried to concentrate on the bizarre test in front of her.

Why was he staring at her? There were a few possibilities, actually.

He could've heard that she was a close friend of The Harry Potter, for example.

Or well, he could've been told to keep an eye on Harry and his friends because of last year's happenings. Though Elsa meant it when she said she didn't plan on getting into trouble this year.

What were the odds of another catastrophe happening two years in a row?

When they were allowed to go, the professor called her back.

“Ah, Miss... Winters, was it?”

Wary, Elsa sent Anthony ahead to go without her. Maybe she could wrap this up quickly.

“Yes, Sir.”

“I have to say, aside from the special meeting with an African chief when I saved them from a wild dragon...”

“Excuse me, Sir, but I have Charms next and I'd rather not miss it.” Elsa tried to cut this short, but Lockhart kept talking as if she hadn't spoken up at all.

“... I never met real royalty before. Your kingdom, is it very large?”

“The village itself is rather small compared to others. But the grounds around it, that belong to the kingdom too are pretty expansive.” The princess rolled her eyes inwardly, hoping to appear neutral on the outside.

She really needed to talk to Dumbledore about keeping her status a secret in front of any new professors too. She had been rather lucky that the others treated her normally, she didn't want special treatment. Especially not from Lockhart.

“What's it called? Maybe I've saved your kingdom from a vicious creature once too?”

“I doubt it. It's very secluded.” Elsa was relieved when Lockhart's next class, a few sixth years, were entering the classroom in little groups.

“I really have to go, Professor Flitwick won't want me being late.”

“That's not a problem, Miss Winters, I'll write you a note for him.” The professor scribbled on a piece of parchment.

“I don't think that will be necessary, he-” Trying to smile gratefully, Elsa took the offered note.

“Thank you, sir.”

She hurried off quickly then, hoping the professor was done wasting her time.

After classes, Elsa met up with Luna outside to get some homework done before dinner.

The quiet working was interrupted by Draco walking up to them.

The Slytherin sat next to Elsa on the bench without a word, taking out his own homework.

Frowning at the behavior, the princess hesitated for a moment.

“Is everything okay?”

“Sure, why wouldn't it be?”

Elsa put her quill down and closed her book. “Maybe because you act like someone took your favorite toy?”

“Don't talk to me as if I was a kid.” Draco's grip on his book tightened.

Taken aback by the tone, Elsa didn't know what to say for a moment. Had she done something?

“Look, I'm not some puppy bending to your will.” Draco spoke up again, eyes trained ahead.

“I didn't imply anything of that sort.” Elsa said, exchanging a glance with Luna, who subtly moved farther away.

“No you didn't, but you keep treating me like it! One wrong word and you're punishing me with disapproval.” The glare that was sent her way almost made the princess falter.

However, remembering her upbringing, she returned the glare. She hadn't done anything wrong, after all.

“Nobody is forcing you to spend time with me.” Not waiting for a reply, she grabbed her things and took off with Luna, head held high.

What was his problem? The evening before he was all excited to talk with her, and suddenly he does a 180 and acts as if she was the devil.

Maybe his father had something to do with it? But they haven't talked since Dumbledore had sent them into the Great Hall.

Was she really treating him like a puppy? She wouldn't know how.

“Another one of your friends?” Luna asked as they made their way to the Great Hall for dinner.

“Not anymore, it seems.”

“He didn't seem to really mean it.” Luna shrugged, playing with her necklace.

“Then why would he say it?” Elsa sighed, shaking her head. “I don't have time for this kind of drama.”

“Did you know that here in Hogwarts are many Wrackspurts? They make your head woozy, plant weird thoughts.”

Smiling at her newest friend, Elsa crossed her arms. “So you think it's the Wrackspurts' fault he acts that way?”

“It could be. There's no way to hold them off yet, but I'm working on it.”

**xxx**

Since their little output, Elsa had been trying to avoid Draco. She wasn't sure if he even wanted to tutor her anymore, she figured she'd try to pass Potions on her own.

A few weeks had passed rather quietly, which the princess was grateful for. After last year's adventure, she was glad to have a calm year ahead of her.

So far Potions wasn't giving her too much difficulties, and Lockhart was easily evaded too. Fortunately he was keeping quiet about her royal status.

One Saturday morning, Elsa, Ron and Hermione were sitting outside, going over something they had talked about in Transfiguration.

Harry had his first Quidditch practice that morning, so they'd help him with his own essay later.

However, on their way to practice they were stopped by the Slytherin's team.

“That sure looks like trouble...” Ron mumbled before they walked over to where the teams were facing off.

Apparently Draco had made the team, Elsa noted. His father had bought everyone a brand new broom, giving him a popularity boost.

The bickering that ensued was very predictable, but when Malfoy spat the hated word again to hurt Hermione, Ron grabbed his wand.

“Ron, don't, it's brok-” Of course the Weasley would act before thinking. His broken wand made the curse backfire, hitting himself instead. “...en.”

White-faced, Ron started to gag. Harry and Hermione were by his side in an instant. Elsa glared at the snickering Slytherins.

Draco avoided her gaze then, covering up the laugh with a cough.

When the green Quidditch team went off towards the pitch, Elsa turned around to help her friends, almost gagging herself at the sight of Ron spewing out slimy slugs.

“Let's get him to Hagrid, he'll know what to do.” Harry suggested, helping Ron up by his arm. Hermione was on his other side.

“Wouldn't it be better to get him to Madam Pomfrey?” Elsa asked as she walked next to them.

“Can you imagine what trouble he'll be in when Madam Pomfrey tells McGonagall?”

Elsa had to admit, Hermione was right. And Hagrid's hut was closer than the hospital wing, too.

She took over the knocking and explaining when they reached the groundkeeper's hut, while Ron was placed on a chair.

Unfortunately all Hagrid could do was hand him a bucket to sit it out. Unable to watch the disgusting display, Elsa looked out the window.

“I thought you said he was pulling himself together. Seems like he changed his mind.” Hermione's words were quite spiteful.

Elsa rolled her eyes. “I have no idea what his problem is. But it's not like you two were innocent in this either.”

“Should we just let him continue with his taunts against everyone he doesn't like?” Hermione frowned, crossing her arms to mirror Elsa's stance.

“As long as they stay _just_ taunts, can't we just ignore him? If you keep giving him the satisfaction, he'll never stop.”

“But words _hurt_ too, Elsa!” Hermione's eyes were getting wet. “Sometimes worse than curses.”

Elsa could've kicked herself then. Of course, just because _she_ didn't care about hurtful insults, didn't mean it was the same for others.

“I'm sorry, Hermione. You're right.”

“You have no idea how hurtful it is to be called a mudblood. As if you were dirt just because your parents aren't magical.” She mumbled, wiping at her eyes.

Oh, if she only knew, Elsa thought. But the incident with Draco taught her that even her friends could turn against you out of the blue.

She just hoped Harry wouldn't use the secret against her someday.

Since Elsa had no idea how to comfort her friend, she was glad Hagrid knew just the right words to get her to smile.

She fiddled with her sleeve to get out a clean handkerchief and handed it over to Hermione, who took it with a laugh.

“You're like a walking tissue box.” The brunette teased, using the cloth to wipe at her eyes.

“If you don't want it...”

“No no no, I take it back.” Hermione laughed along with Elsa.

The gagging sounds of Ron and another slug hitting the half-full bucket put a quick end to the fun for Elsa, though.

**xxx**

“He's what? Celebrating the day he dies? Seriously?” Elsa frowned at her friends.

“Yup. Sounds pretty depressing to me.” Ron said with his mouth full, the slug incident completely forgotten.

“It's on Halloween next week, and he invited us.” Harry shrugged. “Seems pretty important to him.”

Elsa took a spoonful of chocolate pudding. “Don't you have detention that day?”

“Ugh yes. I swear, the polishing wax kills off my sense of smell.” Ron rolled his eyes and subconsciously rubbed at his nose with his sleeve.

His detention consisted of cleaning the numerous Quidditch trophies, while Harry had the honor of helping dear Professor Lockhart with his fanmail until Christmas.

“We can trade if you want.” Harry offered, taking a sip from his pumpkin juice.

“Never. I'd rather scrub every inch of Hogwarts with a toothbrush than spend a minute of my free time with Lockhart.”

“Understandable.” Elsa murmured. She was glad Hermione wasn't here to defend her favorite professor again.

Draco had kept low with his bullying, but then sometimes he was being worse than before. It was fluctuating.

His behavior was frustrating on so many levels. And Elsa couldn't understand why he was suddenly angry with her, from one day to the other.

“Your majesty, are we allowed to place our unworthy bodies next to yours?”

Letting out a suffering breath through her nose Elsa took another bite of her pudding.

“Aren't you tired of this yet?”

“Never.” Was the predicted synchronized answer of the twins. They snickered and sat at the table with them.

Elsa had tried to practice using her ice powers through her wand, but she barely had a moment to herself here in Hogwarts. Everywhere she went, some other students were always around.

Not to mention her friends kinda thought they were obligated to join her when she was roaming around alone, in search for a secluded place.

The forest was still kind of creeping her out, and still, well, forbidden. An empty classroom could work, but getting into one without getting caught was trickier. Unless...

“Harry?” she spoke up, interrupting the conversation with the twins. When she had his attention, she leaned closer to whisper into his ear.

“Do you think I could borrow your invisibility cloak for a while?”

“Sure... what do you need it for?”

Elsa tilted her head. “Some extra Astronomy work, and it's just way easier to look at the stars outside.”

“Oh yeah, of course. I'll give it to you later.”

The princess grinned, happy that this hurdle was taken.

Almost every afternoon then, after classes, she would sneak into an unused classroom in a less lively area of the castle.

Her plan with the wand didn't work as well as she had hoped.

If she let the ice form a thin spiral around the wand to pour from the tip, would others notice it?

Anyhow, the problem she came across was the charm itself. She'd need to actually cast it for cover, but if she did that the whole thing would be completely unnecessary.

She had read about non-verbal spells, but it would be more than a little suspicious if she, a 12-year-old, would be able to cast non-verbal ice charms. They wouldn't actually be taught until their sixth year.

On the other hand, if she'd manage to cast more spells non-verbally she could pretend to be overambitious, like Hermione. On a further level.

However, actually doing so was hard. So far she hadn't managed to cast a single spell non-verbally.

Elsa had planned on working some more on it on Halloween. Harry and Ron would be busy with detention, and Hermione would be tutoring a few younger Gryffindors. And after that the three would go to Nearly-Headless Nick's death day party.

Plenty of time for the blonde to practice.

At lunch that day, Draco had dared to insult Luna. And while Elsa hadn't been there because she had sneaked off with the cloak, the chattering of Padma and her girls about it were pretty vivid.

The princess felt horribly guilty for not being there to defend her. This bullying had to end somehow, but _how_? How could she try to end it when she had no idea why he had started again in first place.

Suddenly he hadn't cared about being her friend anymore.

During their DADA class she tried to ignore him and his whispered insults whenever Lockhart was talking about his oh-so-adventurous life.

They barely really learned anything about defending themselves, so Elsa rather concentrated on reading the books and hoping that would be enough in the unlikely case of an attack.

Maybe she should take up practicing those spells for a while.

“Miss Winters, a second of your precious time.” Elsa inwardly rolled her eyes when Lockhart asked her to stay after they've been dismissed.

Looking up with a neutral expression, she tried to keep her face straight when the professor sat on her table.

“I've noticed you seem rather interested in my wonderful book. The banshee was really a complicated case, I could tell you-”

“Oh, Professor Lockhart, I'm so grateful for your gracious offer. But in all honesty... well, I'm not supposed to tell you...”

The professor blinked and leaned closer. “What is it? I can keep a secret!”

Fighting to keep the straight expression and not just laugh, Elsa lowered her voice.

“Draco Malfoy is your greatest fan. He would do anything to hear more about your heroic adventures.”

“Really? He didn't seem too engrossed in my class.”

“That's just because he has a reputation to uphold. His Slytherin friends would bully him, you know how it is.”

That had to be the evilest thing she had ever done, Elsa mused to herself. It would probably end disastrously.

“That actually makes sense... I've briefly met his father, a very intimidating man. Not too fond of me, as unbelievable as it sounds.”

Elsa tried to appear understanding. “Yes. So, if you could talk to him privately under the guise of... of some sort of punishment, his reputation would be intact and he could finally talk freely to his hero.”

Lockhart leaned back. “Miss Winters, you really surprise me. Though it really shouldn't, with your heritage, am I right?” He grinned brilliantly white, and Elsa gave a nod.

“We even have a study period now, so he wouldn't miss an important class if you'd talk to him now.”

“A wonderful idea!”

Draco's face when Lockhart cited him out of study hall because he needed his assistance with something was priceless indeed.

Elsa couldn't keep a satisfied smirk off her face as she sat down by her friends.

“What would Lockhart need Malfoy's help with?” Harry whispered, frowning at the now empty doorway.

“Hm. Maybe he wanted to do his biggest fan a favor, by monologing about his great adventures to him.”

At Elsa's amused tone, Ron and Harry both looked at her, unbelieving glee shining in their eyes.

“No way.”

“Yes way.” Elsa couldn't suppress a chuckle, hiding it behind her hand. It felt good.

However, the good feeling vanished when study had ended. Elsa regretted not taking her usual shortcut to the Ravenclaw common room, when Draco stepped out of Lockhart's office, a murderous expression on his face.

The princess stopped in her tracks, hoping Malfoy wouldn't notice her. He did, of course, and moved towards her, a glare on his face.

Cursing her bad luck, Elsa made a dignified dash off in the opposite direction.

For never having had to parcour, Elsa was quite satisfied with how easy she managed to get through various random students and up and down the stairs in her flight from a furious Draco Malfoy.

As crown princess, she shouldn't run from her enemy, but with how utterly mean he had looked she wouldn't risk anything. If anything, it would end in a hex fight in the middle of the hallway.

And she wasn't planning on getting detention anytime soon, thank you very much.

Stamina was unfortunately not one of her strengths. So she had to hide somewhere. The easiest would've been to run to her common room, but since Draco had been cutting off her way she had been forced to practically flee to the opposite side of the castle.

A girls' bathroom on the first floor came to her rescue. It was barely used since there was a rumor that it was haunted, but a possible poltergeist was the least of her worries compared to the Slytherin chasing her.

She closed the heavy wooden door as quietly as she could, holding her ear against it.

The running footsteps of her follower came closer. They stopped shortly in front of the door, but then took up running again.

“Who are you hiding from?”

A surprised yell escaped Elsa at a female voice spoke up right next to her ear. She quickly covered up her mouth, staring wide-eyed at the ghost of a girl about two years older than her. She was also wearing the robes of Ravenclaw, had pigtails and thick round glasses.

That was the ghost haunting the bathroom? “W-Who are you?”

The ghost started wailing. “Of course, why would anybody know me? I'm just the fat Myrtle, the ugly Myrtle, the-”

Her weeping was interrupted by a knocking on the door.

“Elsa, is that you?” Draco. He's probably been alerted by her scream and now heard Myrtle's pitiful whines.

Wide-eyed, Elsa hid in one of the toilet stalls, silently pleading for the ghost to not rat her out.

The door opened, and the princess hoped Draco wouldn't dare to look farther.

“BOYS ARE NOT ALLOWED HERE! GET OOOUUUT!”

Elsa covered her ears at the ghost's howl. The door shut noisily, and the blonde dared to peek out of her hiding space. She smiled when she saw Myrtle had chased him away.

“Thank you very much, Myrtle. You saved me.”

The ghost levitated towards her, giving a pouty smile. “No problem. I've been there. I know how it feels. To be bullied so much that you go hide in the bathroom to be alone and cry because nobody likes you...”

Intending to set this right, Elsa opened her mouth, but Myrtle was already weeping again.

“The mean Olive Hornby... she bullied me every day because of my glasses... If she hadn't done that, I would still be alive!”

Elsa gave her a look of sympathy, lowering her voice. “Did you... did you kill yourself?”

The ghost gasped, deeply insulted. “NO! Why would I do that?!” She wailed loudly, before reducing to sobbing.

“No... it was right there in that stall. I just opened my door... and then I was dead.”

She wanted to ask how exactly it had happened, because why would she just fall over dead? However, the door opened again to reveal Hermione.

“There you are.”

Elsa blinked. “You were looking for me? I thought you had tutoring this afternoon?”

“The two of them canceled because they wanted to have a little Halloween party in our common room.” The brunette rolled her eyes.

“Wanna do homework together in the library until Harry and Ron are done with their detention?”

“Oh, sure. We just kinda need to avoid Draco, if possible.” Elsa turned around to say goodbye to Myrtle, but the ghost had vanished.

“What were you doing in the Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, anyways?” Hermione asked with a frown when they were walking to the library.

“I've been hiding from Draco. He's probably pretty mad because of a little prank I pulled on him.”

“ _You_. You pranked him?”

Elsa shrugged. Was it really that weird of her? “Prank is the wrong word, I think.”

She couldn't tell her it had to do with Lockhart, because she didn't want to spend the next two hours listening to Hermione gushing over the DADA professor.

“It doesn't matter now anyways.”

Later they made their way to the trophy hall first to Ron, since it was closer.

“How did they get so dirty anyways? Most of them are in glass cases, and I just cleaned them last week!” Ron groaned, massaging his aching arm.

“I wouldn't put it past McGonagall to dirty them again so it isn't too easy for you.” Hermione said with a smile.

“ _That_ is so mean.” Ron shook his head. “Flitwick would've been nicer about it.”

Elsa rolled her eyes. “I doubt it. You crashed a flying car into a magical tree, after all.”

“That was ages ago!”

“It's been two months.”

Harry's weird appearance as he almost ran into them brought them out of their conversation.

“What's wrong?”

“Do you hear that? A voice?”

The three others listened for a few moments, but there was only silence.

“There's no voice, Harry.” Hermione said, a concerned expression on her face.

“Maybe being so close to Lockhart for this amount of time made him wonkers.” Ron joked.

Harry pushed past them suddenly, concentrated. “There it is again. It's moving!”

A bad feeling made itself shown in Elsa's chest as they followed him. The school year had started out so well. And Harry hearing strange voices that nobody else could sounded like trouble.

In an empty hallway they found a bunch of spiders crawling out the window in a straight line.

Elsa shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself. “Ew.”

“Strange, isn't it?” Harry mumbled.

“Look, there's water on the floor.” Hermione pointed out, eyes on the a rather large puddle by the corner ahead of them.

With trepidation, Elsa followed behind her three Gryffindor friends, inwardly debating whether she really wanted to find out what's going on.

She gasped at seeing Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat, hanging from a candle-holder, unmoving. Next to her, there was a message on the wall, written in blood.

“ _The chamber of secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware.”_

“I-Is she dead?” Elsa asked, eyes locked on the petrified cat.

“I don't think so.” Hermione mumbled.

“Who cares about the cat?! There's _blood_ on the wall!”

“We should get one of the professors to look at this.” Elsa said, averting her gaze from the poor feline.

Numerous footsteps were approaching rather fast then. Of course the Halloween feast would end just then.

So many students. And professors.

They all stopped in their tracks at the scene. There were murmurs, gasps, various reactions.

But Draco Malfoy's was the weirdest.

“Enemies of the Heir, beware. You'll be next, mudbloods!”

Why would he say something like that?

Before the four could explain themselves, Filch stepped up and his reaction to seeing his beloved cat hanging there was indeed heartbreaking. At least to Elsa. She couldn't imagine what she'd do if something like this happened to Marshmallow.

Professors McGonagall and Snape also showed up on the scene, closely followed by Dumbledore.

The headmaster sent the students to bed, with the exception of Elsa and the three Gryffindors.

Harry was quick to explain that they just arrived a minute before the others, and that they found Mrs. Norris as she was.

“I don't recall seeing you four during the feast...” Snape's dark voice matched his eyes.

“Potter was with me, helping me sign my fanmail.” Lockhart spoke up, grinning like he won another prize.

“And Mr. Weasley was cleaning the trophies, I've come by a few times to check up on his work.” McGonagall shook her head.

“Severus, I would appreciate if you didn't accuse my students of doing something as horrendous as this.”

“I guess you're right, Minerva. Petrifying a creature is advanced magic. I doubt Potter and Weasley would be capable of such a feat.” The dark eyes moved to fixate on Hermione and Elsa.

“However, two very ambitious and talented young witches...”

“We were in the library doing homework, Madam Pince can testify.” Hermione shot back at the grim professor.

Elsa nodded in agreement, not averting her gaze from Snape.

“I believe them.” Dumbledore's voice was calm, despite the situation. “It seems our students have an alibi each. And I doubt they would do something like this.”

“B-But my cat... I want someone to be punished!” Filch's yammering sounded horrible.

Dumbledore was able to calm him by promising they would be able to heal Mrs. Norris with Professor Sprout's mandrakes once they were ready, and finally the four of them were dismissed too.

“Why do these things always happen to us?” Ron whined.

“Maybe it was just a stupid prank from some older students.” Hermione offered, mouth twisted.

“But what about the voice I heard?”

“You should tell Dumbledore about it.”

Hermione shook her head. “I don't know. Hearing weird voices no one else can is not normal. Not even in this world.”

Elsa sighed. “Anyways, this is not our problem. Let the professors take care of it. Maybe the voices were a one-time thing.”

They agreed to keep their feet still, as there was nothing they could do anyways.

**xxx**

“Okay so get this,” Elsa refrained from rolling her eyes when her Gryffindor friends found her a week after the incident in the library. Their tone implied that it had to do with said incident. Why couldn't they just let it go?

“The heir mentioned in the message is Salazar Slytherin's heir.”

Elsa sighed. “Way to let the professors take care of it.”

“No but seriously. McGonagall told us about it. Slytherin hated muggleborns and didn't want them here in Hogwarts, so he got a monster to take care of them. And when he was to leave school, he locked it in the so-called Chamber of Secrets.” Ron blurted out.

“But McGonagall said there is no such chamber, the castle has been searched a thousand times already.” Harry added.

“Alright, so a bunch of older students, probably Slytherins, wanted to give the younger ones a scare on Halloween and did it.” Elsa concluded.

Hermione shook her head. “You can't just petrify a living being so perfectly for such an extended amount of time. Mrs. Norris should've been back to normal by now.”

Elsa rubbed the spot between her eyes. “So now you think there's a real monster running around, probably invisible, and petrifying cats?”

“Maybe, yes. Well, we assume it's going to go after students, and that Mrs. Norris was just in the wrong place.”

“Then why doesn't Dumbledore-”

“You didn't listen. They don't believe the chamber really exists. They still think it's a prank.”

“So far there's no proof of your theory.” Elsa rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “As long as you haven't got something better, I keep holding onto mine.”

“We could have proof if we could talk to Malfoy.”

Elsa blinked at that. “How would that prove that the chamber exists?”

Harry leaned back, arms crossed. “He's a Slytherin like all his family has been. He hates all muggleborns, and Filch confiscated one of his jinxes a few days before the incident. He was mad, opened the chamber and released the monster to get revenge on the cat.”

“Woah, back down. That's quite an accusation there.”

“Legend says only the Heir of Slytherin was was able to control the beast. It's logical.”

“It's nothing but speculations.” Elsa shook her head. This was ridiculous.

“That's why we need to talk to him. In a safe environment so he feels comfortable enough to be honest with us.” Hermione said from where she was looking at one of the shelves.

Ron snorted. “Yeah sure, because Draco sees us as his best friends.”

“You were pretty close with him last year, Elsa...” Harry implied, but the princess shook her head.

“He hates me just as much as you at the moment. Especially after my little prank on him last week.”

Hermione put a book down on the center of the table, startling her friends.

“And _that's_ why we need a plan. Here.” She opened to book to a special potion.

“I have to warn you, we're breaking at least fifty rules if we do this.”

Ron raised an eyebrow at her. “Wouldn't be anything new.”

Sparing him a short glare, Hermione focused on the book.

“The Polyjuice Potion allows the drinker to transform into the person whose hair they put into it.”

“So what do you suggest? That we just transform into his friends and he spills the beans?”

“Crabbe, Goyle, Millicent Bulstrode and Pansy Parkinson, to be exact. They are pretty close to Malfoy. At least they can be around him without it being suspicious.”

“You're serious.” Elsa sighed as she eyed the book. It was useless trying to get them off this track.

At least they would find out that they were being ridiculous if she just let them do it.

“Course I am. But the potion takes one month to brew...”

“Where could we do it without anyone finding out about it?”

“That's not the only problem, I fear. We need some ingredients, too. Could be we have to break into Snape's secret stash...” Hermione winced at her own words.

“Great. When you find a way to do so without us being caught and expelled _for sure_ we can start.” Elsa said sarcastically, going back to her Charms essay.

The disadvantage of being friends with the Gryffindors was that they'd always find a way to get into trouble.

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

* * *

Despite not having all the ingredients yet, Hermione had started brewing the potion in one of the sinks in Myrtle's bathroom.

The ghost chased everyone away that dared to enter, so it was a rather good hiding place, Elsa had to admit.

They've been lucky that Myrtle liked her fellow Ravenclaw, and was rather enamored by Harry, as Ron kept saying just the wrong things to the ghost.

It had been surprisingly easy to avoid running into Draco, despite them sharing a few classes. Anthony Goldstein was good at glaring at him whenever he opened his mouth in class.

And spending time with Luna in her free time was also keeping more people away.

“I thought you'd be braver.” Jumping a little, Elsa turned around to come face to face with Draco. She knew it had been risky lingering around outside.

Gaining back her composure, Elsa looked at him.

“I just don't want to get into trouble when I fight with you.”

A delicate eyebrow raised. “Fight? Why would I fight with you?”

“Maybe because I told Lockhart you're his greatest fan?”

“Oh yeah, that was a dick move. But I wouldn't fight with a girl. Not with you.”

Elsa shook her head, closing the book in her lap. “What's going on with you? From one day to the other you just... changed. And now you're trying to be nice again?”

“It's complicated.”

“Yes it is, because you are _making_ it complicated, Draco.” Elsa sighed. “I don't even know who's the real you.”

Draco was quiet for a few moments, before sitting down on the bench next to Elsa.

“The real Draco gets made fun of because he runs after you, and abandons the face he's made up to fit in, just to please you.”

Elsa frowned. “Who makes fun of you? Especially, for not being so stuck up?”

“On the first evening, a few older Slytherins kept indicating that I was whipped by you. I wanted to get in our Quidditch team, and the older students thinking of me as a lovesick puppy was _not_ helping.”

Lovesick puppy? They were friends. “You shouldn't care about them. If they have to make you feel bad to feel better themselves they're weak.”

“But I can't just ignore that. I want to get somewhere in life, and having my own house against me is torture.”

Elsa really tried to relate somehow. She knew that her parents had a special view of how she was supposed to act as a queen.

One of her books was all about a kingdom go against their king because he completely disregarded their needs to fulfill his own wishes. But was this really comparable?

“So what? You decided for the bullying and against our friendship.”

“That's what I meant. You're acting like I am a puppy to be trained. 'Stop acting like that or we're not friends anymore'.” Draco shook his head.

“They're my friends. Do you really think I would just close my eyes and ignore you insulting them?”

“I can't be a little good boy if I want to be successful.”

“But you don't have to be a bully, either.” Elsa bit her lip.

She _did_ miss talking about stupid constellations or discuss scenarios that will never happen with him. It was different with him than it was with Harry and the others.

“I have to go now, Luna asked for my help in Transfiguration.” She shrugged one shoulder.

“Good luck for your game tomorrow.”

The Quidditch game the next day was the first of the season. Gryffindor versus Slytherin, because they've been first and second place the previous year.

Luna watched in wonder at how fast they all were flying, pointing out a few things.

However, Elsa found it hard to concentrate on her when a bludger seemed to have focused on Harry alone.

Fred and George tried to hit it away from him, but it came back every time, and it was vicious.

There was a short break for him when the twins were busying the bludger with their bats.

Draco and him were talking about something. The Slytherin was completely oblivious to the snitch flying right behind him.

Both the seekers gave chase then, followed by the rogue bludger.

“This can't be normal, can it?” Hermione asked, wincing at how the violent ball crashed through the wood.

“No, someone tempered with it!” Ron yelled over the crowd and grabbed his broken wand.

“Are you nuts, Ronald?!” The brunette scolded. “It's too risky, even if your wand wasn't broken. You could hit Harry!”

Elsa flinched when Draco fell from his broom, landing on the grass.

“Isn't there anything we can do?”

“I wouldn't know what...”

Harry came into view again, reaching for the snitch. The bludger hit his arm, the crack appearing to be audible even over the cheering crowd.

Hermione, Ron and Elsa made their way down to the pitch, the roaring crowd when Harry managed to catch the snitch reacting accordingly when the bludger kept attacking Harry.

He was sitting on the sandy part by the goals, trying to get away from the bludger with his broken arm.

Thinking fast, Hermione used _Finite Incantatem_ to destroy the aggressive ball.

“Let's get you to Madam Pomfrey.”

“Ah, that won't be necessary. I am here.” Lockhart's appearance was not assuring at all.

“I can heal this broken arm in no time.”

With a spell Elsa's never heard before he tried to heal his arm. As expected, it didn't work out.

They watched Harry's arm flop around uselessly with poorly hidden disgust, no bone left in the limb.

Later that evening, Elsa had sneaked into the hospital wing with Harry's invisibility cloak. She couldn't sleep anyways with Draco's words still on her mind.

So why not cheer up her friend a little?

“... and then Hagrid gave him a pigtail.” Harry finished his story, laughing through a yawn.

“Alright, I think it's about time you go to sleep.” Elsa chuckled.

“Don't wanna. My arm hurts too much to sleep anyways.”

“I still think you should-” She was barely able to muffle a surprised scream when a little brown creature just appeared on Harry's bed.

“Dobby! What are you doing here?!”

Elsa looked wide-eyed between Harry and the creature called Dobby, unable to find her voice.

From their conversation, it was clear Dobby was the one making sure Harry and Ron couldn't get through to the train. And he's also been the one to hex the bludger. All because he wanted Harry to think Hogwarts was dangerous, so he would leave.

Her friend was understandably mad. But before he could hex the creature, it vanished.

“I can't believe it. As if I would go back to my shitty home and normal life just because _he_ thinks it would be safer for me.”

Elsa tilted her head. “Do you think he's responsible for Mrs. Norris and the smearing on the wall too?”

Harry frowned. “... If he is, it's not funny. I don't get why he would think it's dangerous here for me. It wouldn't be if he just kept his bony fingers to himself...”

In a way, Elsa was quite relieved that this elf seemed to be responsible instead of a real monster. Maybe they could just close that chapter finally.

When Harry yawned again, Elsa patted his leg.

“Come on, sleep now. Tomorrow your arm is fine again and then you can leave and vent as much as you want.”

The boy who lived scrunched up his face, but obediently laid back down, head on his pillow.

“I don't think I can fall asleep.”

“You can. Just relax. Count sheep or something.”

“Hermione said her mom always sang to her when she wasn't feeling well. My aunt also sang for my cousin, but that sounded like nails on a chalkboard.”

The blonde stopped herself from asking if his mom never sang to him. That would've been really insensitive.

“I don't know your aunt, but I can imagine.”

“What about you? Did your mom sing to you when you were little? Do queens even sing?”

Elsa chuckled quietly. “I think she did? Mostly nordic folklore songs, quite mystical.”

“Hm... can you sing me one of those?” Harry asked, eyes partly closed already.

Elsa shrugged, hugging the invisibility cloak around her shoulders so she could leave.

“Uhm, I don't really remember the lyrics. But the melody was something like this.” She hummed the melody she could remember.

It's been ages since she had been small enough to be sung to.

Just when Harry was falling asleep, the door to the hospital wing burst open. Elsa hurriedly threw the cloak over her head too so she was covered completely.

Professors Sinistra and McGonagall were carrying someone inside. Madam Pomfrey and Professor Dumbledore were with them.

Since Harry had to pretend to be asleep, he gave the invisible Elsa a sign to take a look.

Sighing mutely, Elsa tip-toed over to the now occupied bed, covering her mouth when she recognized Colin Creevey, a first year muggleborn from Gryffindor.

He was holding his camera, pale and petrified. Just like Mrs Norris had been.

Dumbledore officially said that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened, the very chamber they've been sure didn't even exist. That meant it wasn't safe here anymore.

Seems like her Gryffindor friends had been right. And again there was no typical school year for them.

**xxx**

_Cold. That was the first thing Elsa felt, which was weird, because she never felt cold._

_There was a lot of snow and ice covering the surroundings, the bushes and trees had been blooming already, though._

_Thinking it was her freezing everything, Elsa tried to thaw it, with no avail._

_She followed the narrow path up a hill._

_A silver-haired man was standing there in front of two blocks of ice. Elsa cautiously stepped closer, tried to talk to him, but no sound escaped her lips._

_The man seemed to be in his mid-twenties, with icy blue eyes and pale skin that appeared almost transparent. A ragged blue sweater hugged his frame._

_He was crying, Elsa noted._

_The eyes were focused on the blocks of ice, which the princess now noticed were gravestones. There were names engraved._

_Isabelle Flocon_

_1960-1981_

_Loving wife and mother_

_The man took a deep breath and the icy wind picked up, making Elsa shiver._

_He bent down to the smaller block and kissed it._

_Elsa knelt down to read the engraving._

_Elisa-Marie Flocon_

_1979-1981_

_Beloved daughter_

_For some reason, Elsa's heart beat faster. She felt as if she was choking. A mother, probably the man's wife, and his daughter had died._

_He touched the stone gently and a small snowflake appeared under the baby's name. New tears fell from his eyes and froze immediately on his cheeks._

_Taking another deep breath, he walked away from the graves towards the edge of the hill. There was a cliff._

_Curiously, Elsa followed him. What was he doing? And how did he engrave the name without any tools or spells? He didn't even have a wand._

_Suddenly a snow flurry picked up, creating a cloud of snowflakes that stuck to a sort of platform for the man to stand on._

_Jaw dropping, Elsa's wide-eyes gaze followed him as the man stood on the platform and flew up in the air until the clouds swallowed him._

With a gasp, the princess woke up. It was already bright out, Cho and Becky were fortunately not in the room anymore.

Elsa tried to sit up, only to find she had frozen her blanket in her sleep. The dream really had taken its toll on her.

Concentrating, Elsa thawed the blanket, leaving it damp. She rubbed her eyes tiredly, trying to recall the dream.

The man clearly had eyes powers, similar to hers. But why did she dream of him? Why _now_?

Deciding to skip breakfast, Elsa made her way to the library. She needed to look this up before the memory would fade. Biting her lip, she searched the section of famous wizards and witches.

Isabelle Flocon. A french name, it appeared. Shouldn't be that hard to find. She wanted to get this done before classes would start.

She was lucky, in a way. She found Isabelle rather fast, but unfortunately the information was really scarce.

Isabelle was a witch and a quarter veela. She was born in Marseilles, France, and was a student at Beauxbatons Academy of Magic in the Pyrenees.

According to the short article she's been rather popular and a very good student. A foreign boy had transferred in her sixth year and immediately had taken a liking to her. They started dating, and when she was done with school he revealed that he was the Spirit of Winter.

She went to Spirit World with him, and that was the last to be heard of Isabelle Flocon.

Apparently it was the first time in over 800 years that a Spirit showed to the human world.

That's where the article ended.

Elsa tried to find more information about Isabelle, but there was nothing on her anymore aside from brief mentions. There was also very little about the Spirit World in general.

There were four Spirits, apparently, representing the four seasons. They lived in their own world, and only Spirits or so-called elementals could go up there.

They were responsible for the change of seasons, but that was basically only lore since there was no proof.

The elementals were representing fire, water, air and earth. There had been more of them, but after so many wars had taken place, there was only one elemental of each element left. If one of them was killed, the killer would get their powers.

Spirits could only be killed by another Spirit. No one else is able to do so.

They almost never leave their world. The last time had been 800 years ago when the Spirit of Spring had come down to earth and chose a partner, an australian muggle in his mid-thirties. He was never to be seen again either.

Elsa wondered why she would suddenly dream about this, even though she's never heard of spirits before.

She also wondered if the chosen ones were aging when they were up in Spirit World. Wouldn't it be horrible to see the one you love wither away and die?

Unfortunately she had to go to her first class that day; History of Magic. Their current subject was especially dry, and the ghost professor's voice was making it even harder to follow the lecture.

The students had long stopped listening at all and rather read the chapters themselves.

Elsa was currently thumbing through her History of Magic book, hoping to find more about the Spirits. Then a thought crossed her mind.

Professor Binns was a ghost, probably a few hundred years old. And while he was known to only believe in facts, the Spirits' existence was mentioned enough to count as factual.

“Excuse me, Professor Binns?”

The ghost stopped droning on, his expression barely changing as he regarded Elsa.

“Yes, Miss?”

“I know we're on the great goblin war right now, but I stumbled across Spirits and elementals in a book of mine, and I wondered if you could tell us a little more about them?”

Binns appeared surprised by the question. “That... that's not on the schedule for this year... Elementals will be a very small topic in your fifth year...”

Elsa's lips pulled themselves involuntarily into a small pout.

“But Professor, most of us already read this chapter. I'd like to hear about the Spirits too.”

The princess turned around to look at Draco, who had surprisingly supported her. He avoided looking at her, but Elsa couldn't help but smile at the gesture.

“Well alright. What do you want to know?”

“I read that the Spirit of Winter came to a school for magic in France.” Elsa stated.

The professor adjusted his transparent glasses. “Ah yes. That was 1977, I believe. Beauxbatons Academy.” He shook his head.

“A friend of mine was teaching there at that time. A pale boy with silvery white hair. He was completely fixated on a young witch there, Miss Flocon, if I recall correctly.”

Elsa listened closely, as did most of her classmates. This was indeed more interesting than some goblin war.

“When she was 17, a year after he had appeared, he revealed his true self and asked her to come to the Spirit World with him. Both were never to be seen again.”

Deflating a little at the scarce information, Elsa frowned. That's exactly what she's already read in the book.

“There's been discussions if it really had been a Spirit, but there were indications. He pretended to transfer from Hogwarts, for example. He's never been here before. He just came out of nowhere. Also, there were pictures taken of him, but he was not visible in any of them.”

Binns looked wistfully up at the ceiling.

“About two years later... in Spring 1981, there had been a huge blizzard suddenly. Every continent had been hit. People assumed that either something had happened to the Spirit of Spring, or that Winter had been severely angered by something. However, as no one can go up into Spirit World it couldn't be helped.”

Elsa bit her lip in thought. 1981, the date on the gravestones. Winter had lost his wife and apparently his daughter, grieving enough to conjure up a worldwide snowstorm.

But what happened to them? Was Spirit World so dangerous?

The class ended with her curiosity not quite satisfied. It was even more piqued, if she was honest. However, there didn't appear to be any more information to gather here.

She could find more in France, or directly Marseilles, but she'd need to learn the language first. And even then, the chances of finding out more were slim.

“Was there a special reason you wanted to hear about that?” Elsa glanced at Draco, who had caught up to her.

“Not really. I just stumbled upon it and thought it was interesting.” She shrugged. “Thanks for helping me out, by the way.”

“Everything is better than his boring speeches.”

Elsa had to admit, since their conversation a week ago, Draco had been at least trying to hold back. He was not as vicious anymore, and tried to keep the name-calling to a minimum.

Harry and the other Gryffindors in general were his focus still, and he even just ignored Luna instead of taunting her.

It was a start, at least.

“Do you have time to tutor me in Potions again for the rest of the year? My grades are slipping again, as predicted.”

The corners of his mouth were tugging up slightly. “Sure, I think I can make time for you.”

“How gracious of you.” Elsa chuckled into her hand.

“Are you going to the dueling course after classes?” Draco asked.

Because of the recent threat, Professors Lockhart and Snape were starting a dueling course to show the students how to defend themselves in case of attacks.

Elsa thought she may have her ice powers to defend herself, but it wouldn't hurt to know some defense spells too.

“I think so, yes. Even though I doubt Lockhart is going to teach us much.”

“He's an idiot. But since he's teaching DADA it's kinda his job. Snape is gonna trounce him.”

“Quite brutal, isn't it?”

Draco rolled his eyes. “With what he's already been through and survived, a little dueling won't harm him much.”

At Elsa's grin, Draco shook his head with a laugh. “That was a pretty Slytherin move of you, by the way. One day I'm gonna get you back for that.”

“I'm sorry, really. It was self-defense, he was trying to torture me with his tales.”

“Sure it was.”

The course was well visited. The first-years were forbidden to participate since they'd have to learn the basics first.

The course for the second years was right after classes in the Great Hall.

Instead of the four tables, there was one lengthy table posing as stage for the duels.

The two professors dueled a few times to show various spells, or at least tried to. Lockhart was just no match for Snape. He didn't get one spell in, let alone managed to block one.

“Perhaps it would be better to let the students try for themselves now.” Snape cut off their last 'duel'.

“Wonderful idea, great even. Harry, Ron, are you up for a little duel?”

“Weasley's wand is a hazard. May I suggest someone from my house instead, Malfoy perhaps?”

Elsa tilted her head with a frown. Pairing those two wouldn't end well, and she had a feeling Snape knew this too.

Draco heaved a sigh, but fixed a glare on his face as he made his way to climb the stage.

He and Harry faced off, using a few spells that bordered on brutal. Elsa winced when Harry hit the floor again.

Biting her lip, she watched the exchange. Why didn't any of the professors do something to stop them? They could get seriously hurt!

“Serpensortia!”

Draco conjured up a snake, and things only got weirder then.

Harry spoke to the snake, strange hissing sounds, and the serpent turned to Justin Finch-Fletchley, a muggleborn Hufflepuff. It appeared to want to attack him.

However, Snape stepped in then and destroyed the snake. Harry wouldn't have egged it on, would he?

After that scene Harry practically fled the hall, Hermione and Ron hot on his heels. Elsa was about to follow her friends, but something Anthony said made her hesitate.

“Who would've guessed that Harry Potter is the Heir of Slytherin...”

“What? Why would you say that?”

“Were your eyes closed the whole time? He told the snake to attack Justin.”

Elsa rolled her eyes. “Don't be silly. Harry wouldn't do that.”

“Then how do you explain him being able to talk to snakes?” Anthony shook his head. “Salazar Slytherin was a Parseltongue, and you-know-who is too.”

The princess blinked. That was new. “Still... why would Harry attack his classmates? One of his best friends is a muggleborn.”

Two of them, she mused.

“Who knows what's going on in his head?”

Leaving her classmates with their wicked theories behind, Elsa left the hall too. She knew Harry wouldn't harm any of them. Not on purpose. Not ever.

**xxx**

“Unbelievable that everyone thinks Potter is the Heir of Slytherin.”

Elsa frowned at Draco's words during their tutoring. It was the fist time he willingly brought up Harry when they were alone, always hoping to avoid a fight.

“You don't?”

“'Course not. He's a mere halfblood, the heir of Slytherin can only be a pureblood.” He shrugged. “And a Slytherin, of course.”

Maybe, Elsa thought, she could get the information they needed now. Then her friends wouldn't have to endanger themselves and break a thousand rules. Again.

“Didn't the hat think about putting him in Slytherin too?”

“Do _you_ think he's the heir?”

Taken aback, Elsa looked at him. “No!”

“Hey, just asking. Cause it sounds like you're phishing for evidence why he could be it.”

“I'm not! I don't think one of my best friends is the one that goes around and petrifies people.”

Draco chuckled at her indignant tone. “You act as if being the heir was an insult.”

Elsa bit her lip as she looked down at her parchment. That sounded pretty suspicious indeed. Could it really be that Draco was the heir? That he'd actually enjoy being the big bad, hiding behind a monster?

“So you think it's...”

“An honor. The heir is said to be very powerful. And in all honesty, according to my dad, muggleborn wizards shouldn't even be a thing.”

She frowned at her tutor. “But they _are_ a thing. There will always be muggleborn wizards and witches, and if they don't learn to control their magic catastrophic things could happen.”

“Whoa, chill. I didn't mean it like that.”

Elsa thought she should probably try to not be as insulted as she felt. Draco didn't know she was muggleborn. Though that made it worse, in her opinion.

“Sure. Could we just change the topic, please?”

“Yeah whatever. You got anything planned for christmas?”

“Uh no. I'll probably just stay here and hope for snow.” Elsa rolled her shoulders to loosen up her tense muscles and wrote down a few more ingredients.

“Christmas is in two weeks, and it's not cold enough for snow yet... I don't think it's gonna be a white christmas.”

“I wouldn't write it off yet.” Elsa mumbled absentmindedly. “I always had snow for my birthday, I refuse to think different now.”

She tilted her head on her finished recipe and pushed it over so Draco could look it over.

“Your birthday? Your birthday is on christmas?”

“Oh, no. On the 22nd. Winter Solstice.” She shrugged. “Well, not this year, but when I was born.”

Draco frowned down at the piece of parchment, not reading any of the words. “Why didn't you say anything?”

“Because it's no big deal. It's just a birthday.” Elsa tapped the parchment so Draco would finally read it.

“What are you doing on Christmas?”

“I'll be staying here this year. My parents and Pansy's are going on a vacation together, there's no point in going home.”

“You don't want to go on a vacation on christmas?”

“Not with Pansy.” He shuddered and handed her the list back. “Congratulations, no mistakes this time.”

“Really? Fantastic!” Elsa took the parchment back, grinning proudly.

When she saw Harry walk by in the distance, she bade a quick goodbye to Draco to meet up with him.

“Where are you going?” Elsa asked as she fell into step next to him.

“Just visiting Hagrid. I can't stand being surrounded by the others anymore. The stares... as if I would really do something like this.”

“As if they didn't know you.” Elsa rolled her eyes.

“Why do you still let him tutor you?” Harry glanced to where Draco was just vanishing inside the castle.

“Because since he does, my grades in Potions are acceptable.”

“But why _him_?”

“Harry, I know you two can't stand each other, but he's actually really nice without his friends around.”

“That's not it.” The Gryffindor shook his head. “We're still not sure if he is the heir, and if he is you're a possible target too.”

“He doesn't know I'm really muggleborn. He thinks I'm a halfblood.” Elsa calmed him.

The thought that she could also be attacked by an unknown monster made her shudder though. She'd have to make sure she wouldn't run around alone in the hallways.

“What if he has a way of knowing? We don't know how he does it, after all.”

Elsa sighed. “When the Polyjuice Potion is done we can find out for sure and _then_ we can decide what to do next. Until then, I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.”

Fortunately Hagrid had his own way of cheering people up. He talked about completely different topics, like how the school's roosters were vanishing mysteriously.

They spent the better part of an hour there, until it was time for dinner.

However, as soon as they got back to the castle, they ran into a motionless, scorched looking Nearly Headless Nick. The ghost was petrified.

And just two meters away from him lay Justin Finch-Fletchley.

Elsa recoiled and covered her mouth, while Harry took a step closer.

“Is he...”

“He's petrified. Like Colin and Mrs. Norris...” The Gryffindor looked up at Elsa. “Coincidentally just after your tutoring with Malfoy ended.”

Would he really...? The princess couldn't believe it.

On their way to get a professor they ran into Professor Sprout and showed her what they found.

The head of Gryffindor was called, too.

“Professor, it wasn't Harry. We were just on our way back from Hagrid's, and we've been together the whole time.” Elsa immediately tried to help out her friend.

“That's not for me to decide anymore, I fear.” The professor turned to Harry. “Professor Dumbledore awaits you in his office, Mister Potter.”

Elsa made to follow, but McGonagall gestured for her to stay put. “He only requested Potter's presence, Miss Winters. I suggest you go eat now.”

The blonde didn't know what to say. She didn't want her friend to go alone, when she knew he was innocent. But the strict professor's expression made her remember her manners, so she nodded obediently and parted from them by the Great Hall.

How would she be able to eat now after seeing another muggleborn victim of the Heir of Slytherin? Which could very well be Draco Malfoy, for all she knew.

“What's wrong?” Ron asked, his mouth full, when she sat down by her friends.

“You look like you've seen a ghost.” Hermione remarked.

“I did...” She shook her head to get back on track. “When Harry and I just got back from Hagrid, we found the Nearly Headless Nick and Justin petrified in the hallway.”

“What?!” Ron choked on his food.

“Ssh. I don't think we should make a big deal out of it just now.” Elsa leaned closer after glancing briefly to the Slytherin table.

“The thing is, I had my tutoring with Draco outside at the stone benches before I left with Harry. He said some weird things about being the heir would be an honor and all.”

“That's very suspicious indeed.” Hermione nodded, frowning at Malfoy.

“The potion is almost done. We need to get some bicorn horn from Snape's stash. And, of course, some hair from the person we want to turn into.”

She rolled her eyes. “And then we have to wait till after Christmas when Malfoy's back. That's way too long, if there's been another attack already...”

“Actually, Draco's staying here over Christmas break.” Elsa took a sip from pumpkin juice. “It would be good to do it over the break, since there aren't too many students around to hide from.”

“But how do you suggest we get the horn? The only time we have access to his stash is when we have Potions. There's no way we can sneak something with him in the same room.” Ron threw in.

“We need a distraction. A little potion accident maybe.” Hermione tapped the edge of her plate.

Elsa frowned. “Have you seen how often Seamus blew up his potions? One flick of Snape's wand and the catastrophe is over. That's too short for one of us to grab it.”

“Even Snape has to figure out the problem first. We'd need some firecrackers.”

“Damn, that's dark, 'Mione.” Ron mumbled.

Fred and George mysteriously showed up just then. “Did we hear firecrackers?”

“I think we can help.”

**xxx**

The twins had pulled up a few magical firecrackers from who-knows-where. They would vanish without a trace after exploding, which was perfect for their plan.

On the last Potions class before Christmas break, the four of them had a plan at the ready.

Since it would've been suspicious if the Gryffindors worked together with the Slytherins, Elsa made sure to pair up with Draco, much to Pansy's dismay.

In the middle of a bunch of Slytherins, it would be hard to sneak the firecrackers into on of their cauldrons, so Ron messed up voluntarily.

Pansy Parkinson couldn't resist taunting him, Snape blissfully chewing him out because he was unable to brew the simplest draught.

Using that moment of calm, Elsa slyly dropped the firecrackers into Pansy's cauldron, taking two steps back and counting the seconds until they went off.

The draught bubbled dangerously and started splashing out. Pansy screeched when the liquid hit her hands.

Draco automatically pulled Elsa further away from the shaking cauldron.

Snape wasn't able to find a quick solution to the problem, and Elsa did her best to appear shocked and not glance to where Hermione was quickly taking a small vial of bicorn horn powder.

The firecrackers went out and the cauldron, now half empty, stood still again.

“Miss Parkinson, what did you put into the draught?!” Snape appeared furious.

“I didn't do anything!”

The dark eyes flickered to where Elsa and Draco were standing, but he didn't say anything.

“Class is dismissed.” And then to Pansy, “Go to Madam Pomfrey, the draught could leave stains on your hands. And when you're done, you will clean up this mess in detention.”

Elsa did feel a tiny bit guilty then. She hadn't intended for it to turn out the way it did.

At least they had the powder and Hermione could finish the Potion.

“Since they're staying here, Harry and Ron should take some hair from Crabbe and Goyle. I already gathered some hair from Millicent Bulstrode's cloak.” Hermione explained to them after the feast, when the Great Hall had cleared of the majority of the students.

“Who is Elsa turning into?” Ron asked, playing with the leftover decoration. “Parkinson left.”

“I was thinking that she could distract Malfoy so Crabbe and Goyle are alone.”

The four of them glanced at the Slytherin table, where the three boys in question were discussing something in the Daily Prophet.

“Sure.” To be honest, Elsa was glad she wouldn't have to participate in the whole thing.

The idea of morphing into another person was terrifying to her.

“You better go, then. I'm gonna talk him into taking a walk outside or something.”

“Alright, I'm going to put the finishing touches to the Potion. You two come to Myrtle's bathroom when you have the hairs.”

Making a show of their departure, the Gryffindors left the hall.

Elsa thought about how much time would be appropriate until she could go to Draco, when the Slytherin came to her himself.

“Happy Birthday.” Elsa looked down at the small box Draco had pushed over to her.

“You didn't have to get me anything.” The princess shook her head, but couldn't suppress a smile.

Her parents had sent her a new dress, which had Elsa scrunch up her nose. That was a dress for a castle, maybe, but not for regular wearing. She hid it on the bottom of her trunk, vowing to herself she'd change it so it wasn't so... princess-like.

“Yeah, yeah.” Draco rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “Open it. I'll have you know that I used some of my own saved up money.”

Elsa blinked at the box. “You really shouldn't have. I don't care about birthdays.”

“But I do... now come on. Open it!”

Heaving a sigh, Elsa took the box and opened it slowly.

Inside was a simple silver necklace. It was a beautiful snowflake with an icy blue stone in the middle.

“It's beautiful...” She breathed, finger tracing the pattern.

“I thought, since it really seems like there's no snow now, you'd like a different snowflake for you birthday.”

“That's so sweet of you... Can you put it on me?”

Draco complied with a grin, fastening it so the necklace rested comfortably on her collar.

“Thank you...” Elsa chuckled behind her hand. “Though I wouldn't be too sure about the snow yet. Come on, let's take a walk outside.”

“Uh sure, just let me get my winter cloak.”

After taking a detour so Draco could get his winter cloak, the two of them walked outside. It was already dark, but with Draco Elsa wasn't as afraid. He was a pureblood after all, what were the odds of the monster attacking her?

“How are Pansy's hands?” Elsa asked.

Draco laughed. “The green stains will stay for another month. I still don't get how she was stupid enough to blow it up.”

“If you hadn't been helping me it could've been me all the same.” Elsa joked, hoping to distract from her guilt.

“Not even you could've messed up this easy-” Draco cut himself off when there was a thick snowflake falling right in front of his face.

He looked up at the dark sky, where more and more were coming down.

“What the hell?”

“See, I told you. Always snow on my birthday.” Elsa teased, pleased by the weather.

It wasn't even her doing, but she strongly believed that someone seemed to like her up there.

Now that she knew about the spirits, she was thinking that Winter seemed to be that someone. Maybe he saw her with her ice powers and favored her a little.

With it all being just myths and legends she couldn't be sure, of course, but believing in something took away the edge of things.

“Unbelievable.”

Elsa giggled at his dumbstruck expression.

They spent a little while outside, until Elsa deemed her friends were done with their preparation.

“Could you take me back to my common room?” She didn't want to give away her worry about the monster, but that wasn't necessary anyways.

Draco was acting like a real gentleman, escorting her to the Ravenclaw common room.

In a hallway Elsa saw Crabbe and Goyle, though she was sure those were Ron and Harry, because _“Goyle”_ wore Harry's glasses.

The boys were gesturing for her to hurry up. Elsa rolled her eyes and tapped the side of her eye to show Harry to take off his glasses.

“Everything okay?”

“Oh, yes. I'm just pretty tired already from all the studying I did.”

“Alright... well, get some rest. See you tomorrow?”

“Of course. And thanks again, for the necklace.” Elsa smiled at Draco.

“It was nothing.”

Finally the Slytherin noticed something behind them and turned around to frown at Crabbe and Goyle.

“These buffoons are making me sick.” He rolled his eyes.

“Goodnight.”

Elsa inwardly laughed at how her friends flinched in their disguises. She really hoped they were wrong and that Draco wasn't the heir.

However, an answer to that will have to wait till tomorrow.

She distantly wondered where Hermione was, but of course it was possible that she was waiting down by the dungeons. It would've been way too suspicious if _“Millicent Bulstrode”_ was lingering around with Crabbe and Goyle, especially so close to the Ravenclaw common room.

Since Luna and basically the whole Ravenclaw house aside from a few seventh years had gone home for christmas break, it was really empty and quiet there.

Elsa enjoyed the peace and decided to catch up with some reading for DADA, since Lockhart was barely teaching them anything.

And tomorrow, she thought, she'd know if Draco was the Heir of Slytherin or not.

* * *


	9. Chapter 9

* * *

“What?! Is she okay?” Elsa exclaimed worriedly the next day when the three of them made their way to breakfast.

Apparently the hair Hermione had collected from Millicent's robes were from her cat. And since the Polyjuice Potion wasn't meant for transforming into other specimen, the brunette was stuck looking half cat.

“Yeah, she's gonna be back to normal until break's over.” Ron chuckled. “She looks pretty cool, actually.”

Elsa gave him a disapproving look. “What did you say to Madam Pomfrey?”

“Hermione said she wanted to try out a new potion and might've mixed something up. She got five housepoints taken for experimenting with dangerous potions.” Harry rolled her eyes. “At this rate Gryffindor is definitely gonna lose the housecup this year.”

“Oh Harry, who cares about the housecup? There's a monster on the loose.”

“True... and we're still no step further. Since Malfoy also has no idea who it could be.”

“But you're sure he's not it?” Elsa asked.

Harry shook his head. “He definitely isn't. With how he talked about it, he would probably brag all day long.”

Elsa thoughtfully nodded. So at least she knew Draco wasn't the one controlling the infamous monster. It would be so much easier if they knew what kind of monster it was, to figure out a way to defeat it.

“Woah, did Myrtle finally snap?” Ron pointed at the floor ahead of them. There was water gushing from Myrtle's bathroom.

Worried, they entered the wet lavatory.

“Myrtle?” Elsa called, “Is everything okay?”

The howling cry emerged from a toilet stall as the ghost girl appeared. She sniffed loudly, her bony transparent shoulders quaking.

“Nothing's okay!”

The three friends exchanged a look.

“What happened?” Elsa asked, trying to sound soothing.

“I have no idea! Must be a great fun to bully me, even after my death! Sure, let's throw things at Myrtle, she's not feeling it anyways!”

“ _That's_ why you flooded the bathroom?” Harry bumped Ron with his elbow.

“What he meant is, why is there water everywhere, Myrtle?”

The ghost lowered herself to be on eye-level with them, giving a pitiful whimper.

“I didn't do anything... I was just sitting in my toilet, thinking about death, when suddenly this blasted book flew right through me!”

They followed to where her finger pointed. A tattered black book was laying by the sinks, completely soaked.

Harry picked it up and looked it over.

“Looks like a diary.”

“I don't care what it is! They were trying to hurt me with it! Everyone is so meeeeaaan!” With a last mighty howl, Myrtle flew back into her toilet, splashing more on the stone floor.

“Why would someone throw a diary away?” Elsa mused.

“And into a toilet, for that matter.”

Harry carefully pried it open, but the wet pages were empty. “Very suspicious... I'm gonna dry it. Maybe I can find something out.”

“Do you think that's a good idea? What if it's just a book?”

Ron shrugged at Harry. “What if it isn't?”

“I'm gonna find out. Let's go to the Great Hall and tell the professors that the bathroom has a leak.”

The following weeks were blissfully quiet, without another petrifying incident. Hermione was back to her usual self, and Ron had to hold himself back from making any stupid cat puns.

The one time he did, Hermione hexed him to spit out a giant hairball. It brought back memories from his slug experience, so he opted to stay silent whenever they came close to the cat incident.

“Hey Elsa?”

The girl in question looked up from her book in front of the fireplace. Anthony Goldstein was standing there, parchment, ink and his Transfiguration book in his arms.

“Yes?”

“I was wondering, did you already finish Transfiguration homework?”

“Not yet. I wanted to finish reading this chapter for History of Magic first.”

Anthony scratched his head, almost dropping his ink, catching it last minute.

“We could do it together, if you want?”

Elsa smiled up at him. “Sure. I'll be done in a few minutes.”

“Great, I'm gonna get some more parchment and ink, I still owe you a jar, and we can share my book.”

The blonde watched him vanish to the boy's dorms with raised eyebrows. He acted as if she just granted him his greatest wish.

It was weird, but Elsa had enough on her mind without her own classmates adding to that.

They sat together at a table by the wide windows. Anthony kept up a conversation about the homework, as if he was afraid of working in silence.

“You ask her.”

“Why don't you ask her?”

Frowning, Elsa noticed Padma and her friends step up to their table.

“Can I help you?” She asked warily.

“We're sick of wondering.” Padma started. “Is Harry really the heir?”

The princess inwardly sighed. “No, he's not.”

The girls sat with them then, huddling close. Anthony rolled his eyes and leaned back in his seat.

“Do you have proof?”

“I _know_ him, and you should know him too. At least enough to know he wouldn't attack his classmates.”

“Then how do you explain him being a Parseltongue? The only ones known were Salazar Slytherin and You-know-who. That has to mean something.”

“He definitely had a problem with Justin, and shortly after he was petrified.”

Elsa shook her head. This reminded her much of a business meeting she had been allowed to watch when she was younger.

Their trading partners had met up with her father to discuss the next steps, and it was a very loud discussion.

Back then, she had really admired her father's ability to stay calm and level-headed.

“He was never alone when one of them was petrified. With Mrs. Norris, he was in detention with Lockhart. He was in the hospital wing with a useless arm when Colin was petrified. And I was with him at Hagrid's when it hit Justin. There was no way he could've done anything without anyone noticing.”

Anthony shrugged, now also leaning closer.

“We don't know how he does it. It could be he told the monster to attack at another time. It's what I would do.”

Elsa sighed out loud now. They were being utterly ridiculous.

“Look, Harry is one of my best friends. If you don't trust him enough, fine. But I do, even without proof.”

“That doesn't convince me at all. What if-”

“Excuse me.”

Luna's dreamy voice interrupted the discussion, which Elsa was eternally grateful for.

Anthony, Padma and her two friends gave her a weird look, while Elsa smiled at her.

“I hoped you could help me with Charms.” Luna tapped her Charms book.

Taking the chance, Elsa stood up from the table and took her almost finished Transfiguration homework.

“Yes, gladly. Let's go somewhere else, though. It's getting too stuffed in here.”

With that she left the common room alongside Luna.

“You're a lifesaver, Luna.”

“I really do need help, though.” The smaller blonde smiled.

“Sure, let's go to the library. Then I can finish my own homework too.”

“Oh, maybe we run across a heliopath!”

Elsa raised an eyebrow. “A what?”

“Heliopath. A sort of fire spirit. One day I will find one, and then it can bring me to its master.”

“Its master? And who would its master be?” Elsa humored her as they entered the library and found a quiet spot to sit.

“If I knew I wouldn't need a heliopath.” Luna leaned closer. “A fire spirit answers to the elemental of fire, of course.”

That got Elsa's interest indeed. “And why would you want to find the elemental of fire?”

“It's said that an elemental knows how to get to Spirit world. I want to find the Spirit of Spring and ask for a special seed.”

Elsa blinked. Of course, Luna and her dad were really interested in things whose existence was rather questionable. They would know whatever there was to know about it.

“What seed do you want? And can't you get that anywhere else?”

Luna shrugged, leaning back and tracing invisible patterns on the table.

“My mom used to experiment with Potions. There was a special flower, the last exemplar, which she always kept in a pot near her. She said it was her lucky charm.”

The princess was quiet. She only knew that Luna's mother died a few years ago, but she never asked how. It was not polite to ask about something like that.

“It didn't work. Her last experimental draught was a disaster that blew her up, along with the whole interior. Including the flower.”

“And what does the Spirit of Spring have to do with it?”

“Legend says, that in the garden of Spring there's every plant that ever existed. If I could have some of the seeds I could bring the flower back in honor of my mother.”

Elsa gave a sympathetic smile. “That sounds really wonderful. I hope you succeed. And hey, I'll even help you keep an eye out for a heliopath.”

**xxx**

A few more weeks had passed. Despite not any more victims showing up, the mood was overall quite anxious and pressing.

While it wasn't exactly a rule yet, it was highly encouraged by the professors that the students – especially the muggleborns – only walked around in groups. None of them wanted to be the next victim.

Wanting to put a little light on these dark times, Professor Lockhart thought it was a good idea to make this year's Valentine's Day a very special day.

He decorated the Great Hall with large flowers in various shades of red and pink, and heart-shaped confetti was falling from the ceiling.

It was a disturbing sight, if Elsa was honest.

The last year, Valentine's day at Hogwarts had been quite normal. At least, within reason. There was themed food, of course, and a few heart decorations around. This, however, made her feel as if she had been swallowed by a giant pink plush bunny.

The culprit himself was wearing all pink that day, too, to match his decorations.

At breakfast he even announced that he hired a few dwarves to deliver valentines. The poor creatures looked hideous with fake golden wings and harps to resemble cupids.

“He can't be serious.” Elsa shook her head as she sat down next to her friends, eyes on the teachers' table, unable to just dismiss the blinding bright pink robe of Lockhart.

“He is. Harry go a dozen dwarf valentines already on his way here.” Ron rolled his eyes.

“It's like a bad joke, really.” Harry ducked his head when one of the dwarves passed them by, fortunately stopping by a fourth year Hufflepuff.

Elsa winced at the horrible poem she received, and the poor girl did look quite embarrassed, too.

“Anything new on the chamber of secrets front?” She changed the topic, distractedly taking a piece of toast.

Harry sighed miserably. “No. And I don't have much time either with how Wood keeps drilling us for the next game.”

“Even at this weather?”

“Especially. He says when we train under worst conditions, we won't be bothered too much when it's worst during games.”

Ron shrugged one shoulder. “Well, he's not wrong.”

“If you'd have to fly through icy rain you'd think differently.” Harry grumbled moodily and forcefully speared a piece of sausage.

Elsa raised an eyebrow at his obvious dampened mood, but didn't comment on it. She'd rather not be the target of his biting comments.

The whole morning's classes had been disturbed by several dwarves just crashing in and delivering tasteless idiotic poems. Professor McGonagall had fortunately charmed the door locked after the sixth attempt.

Hannah Abbott, whose been receiving half of them in this class alone, was quite grateful.

Flitwick allowed them in, though he used the double class to rather let them play a game to repeat the charms they already knew instead of trying to teach them something new.

It was useless with the disturbances every five minutes, anyways.

Hermione and Elsa kept flinging a ball back and forth between them, using simple spells so they wouldn't have to concentrate too much on it.

“I just don't get it.”

“Get what?” Elsa asked, giving the ball a slight twist so it would spiral a little higher.

The brunette frowned up at it, waiting for it to come down before sending it back in slow motion.

“The monster.”

“The professors said the castle's been combed through numerously.”

“Exactly. I mean, I get that the Chamber of Secrets would be hard to find since the castle is a giant maze, but how would a monster move through the halls so close to the students without being seen once?”

Elsa bit the inside of her cheek in thought. “Maybe it's not a big monster. Nobody ever saw it, aside from the victims. It could be it's smaller. Easily dismissed.”

“I've looked through _so many_ books, but there's no mention of a creature that would _petrify_ people. Only a bunch of deadly ones. It just makes no sense.”

Hermione caught the ball in her hand and shrunk it to the size of a bean to make it a little harder before sending it flying again.

“The monster is only a legend, mind you. For all we know it could be a single person, powerful enough to petrify the muggleborns without a time limit.”

The Gryffindor bit her lip. “If it was a student, his absence during the Halloween feast would've been noticed too.”

“I seriously doubt the teachers were paying that much attention to every single student. We're just unlucky enough that Snape doesn't quite like Harry.”

“I think the word you were looking for is hate.”

Elsa shrugged and let the ball explode in a tiny single firework over their heads, knowing class would end soon.

Professor Flitwick praised them both for their use of the charms, leaving the two girls rather proud of themselves, though still thoughtful.

“What happened to you?” Hermione asked when they made their way to lunch. Both Ron and Harry had black smudges on their faces.

Ron explained by holding up his spellotaped wand, using his robe's sleeve to wipe the ash away.

Elsa hid a grin behind her hand.

“Oh no, not another one...” Harry groaned, hiding slightly behind Ron when a dwarf caught up with them in front of the Great Hall.

But the 'cupid' came to a stop in front of Elsa, who blinked at the cringe-worthy poem he cited.

“ _I think about you everyday,_

_I plan out what to say._

_You have no idea, you have no clue,_

_Just how much I think about you._

_Your sky blue eyes and long blonde hair,_

_for you I would go anywhere._

_A secret admirer.”_

The dwarf walked off then towards his next victim, leaving Elsa to wonder just who this secret admirer was.

Ron and Harry both snickered at the poem, the chosen boy happy that he wasn't the only one tormented by the cupids.

“I bet it's from Malfoy.” Ron teased between his snorts of laughter.

“Haha.” Elsa rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “Sure.”

She honestly couldn't imagine Draco sending her such a message with a dwarf. They were friends, weren't they?

Besides, Draco was more of a classy guy, why would he restore to those hideous creatures?

Not in the mood to get teased the whole lunch time, Elsa chose to sit with Luna and Ginny.

The Weasley girl had been pretty quiet the first few months, but since after christmas break she was slowly coming back out of her shell again. Whatever had been bothering her, Luna helped distracting her from it, making the two good friends over the past weeks.

“I wonder how much Lockhart pays them.” Ginny said, eyeing one of the dwarves that marched over to Harry, who thunked his head on the table in annoyance, much to Ron's amusement.

“They probably owe him something. Dwarves never forget favors.” Luna tilted her head at Elsa.

“Did you get Anthony's valentine yet? He was so excited this morning.”

“What?” The older blonde perked up, eyes wide. “Anthony sent the dwarf?”

“So you did receive it. I overheard him talking to Terry and Michael, debating whether he should give his name.”

Elsa felt her cheeks heat up slightly and carefully avoided looking to where her male Ravenclaw classmates were sitting.

“No, he didn't. It came from a 'secret admirer'.”

“Aw sorry, I didn't want to tell.”

“It's fine, really. I'm glad I know whom it came from.”

The princess bit her lip. What was she supposed to do now? She never ever received such a message.

Anthony was a good friend and sounding board whenever they were stuck on especially hard homework, but there wasn't more to it. At least to Elsa.

She wasn't supposed to know who sent the valentine, so she could just pretend to be oblivious to evade the confrontation. Perhaps that was for the best.

It would probably the best to just clear things up already, but in all honesty, Elsa was a little overwhelmed.

The only things she knew about love was what she's been taught. Of course her mother had given her “the talk”, but as everything else, normal teenage rules didn't really apply to her.

So she had gotten the royal version of it, as in how a prince would court her and ask for the king's approval and so on.

She was not really prepared to deal with a teenage crush.

“Are you sending him one back?” Ginny asked.

“No. He's just a friend. And if he gathers the courage to talk to me directly about it I will politely tell him so.” Elsa said, hoping she'd be able to find the right words if it came to it.

There was an angry curse coming from Harry, and then he was storming off, past Elsa, Ginny and Luna.

He had the tattered black book with him, ink spilled all over it.

Heaving a sigh at the behavior, Elsa continued eating. There was nothing to find out with the book, so why did Harry bother so much?

Later that afternoon, Elsa and Draco had another tutoring. Since it wasn't raining anymore, Elsa insisted they'd go outside again.

The dwarves would leave them alone, was her reasoning.

She didn't really _need_ the tutoring anymore, still it was nice to work on the homework together with him.

“Did you get many of those messages?” Draco asked, twirling the quill in his hand.

“Only one. What about you?”

“Six.” Draco glared at the castle. “Would've been more if it wasn't for Pansy scaring them off.”

“Wow, you're pretty popular, hm?” Elsa smiled, bemusedly writing down two sentences.

“Psh, they're only interested cause I'm on the team now. Even though I completely failed the game against Gryffindor.” The Slytherin frowned down at his parchment.

Elsa noted his dejected tone. “It wasn't _that_ bad.”

“It _was_. I've flown all of my life, and Potter beat me despite this bludger following him.” He shook his head. “It's embarrassing. And only because I wasn't concentrating on the game.”

Not really caring for Quidditch herself, Elsa knew the majority of the witches and wizards took it quite seriously.

“What had you so distracted?”

“You'd probably think it's dumb.”

Elsa frowned. “I would?”

“I was taunting Potter, okay? I couldn't resist.”

She already knew that they had some sort of verbal exchange during the game, so it wasn't that much a surprise.

“Maybe if you can get the issue out of the way, you won't have that much trouble with it anymore?”

Silver eyes bore into hers. “As if it was so easy.”

“What, you already said you were miffed because he declined your friendship. We've been over that.”

“It's not just that.”

“Then what is it?”

The pale cheeks of Draco tinged pink. “It's you.”

Elsa leaned back and blinked. “Me?”

Draco averted his gaze and his hand came up to rub the back of his neck automatically.

“You spend so much time with him. With them. It's such an effortless friendship, while I keep trying to not do or say things that could set you off.”

Not quite knowing what to say to that, Elsa took her time answering. In a way it was easy; Harry was naturally a guy that tended to do what he deemed right and just.

While Draco, on the other hand, was still struggling to balance out his bullying nature.

It was not something she could say right now, though. One thing Harry and Draco had in common was their explosive moods when the right – or in this case wrong – buttons were pushed.

“I like spending time with you just as much as I do with them, Draco.” She started to formulate,

“You're working on yourself, and I appreciate that very much. It's not like I would bite your head off if you slip up.”

Draco sighed. “Friendships are complicated.”

“Who are you telling.” Elsa agreed, tapping her quill on the parchment.

“Before coming to Hogwarts, I had this really good friend. Blaise. We were always playing Quidditch together. With him it wasn't complicated at all.”

“He's not in Hogwarts?”

The Slytherin shook his head. “His mom's latest husband was in Durmstrang and persuaded her to send Blaise there too. It sucks, but we keep in touch with letters.”

He shrugged one shoulder.

“What about Crabbe and Goyle? Or Pansy?”

“Oh please. Crabbe and Goyle barely have their own opinion. They just follow through with whatever I say. And Pansy... is more like a leech than a friend.”

“Hm. Well, _we're_ friends. And I don't think what we have is that complicated either. I like talking to you.”

Draco smiled at her, so genuinely that Elsa felt her heart beat a little faster.

Instead of answering, he grabbed her parchment, diverting the topic.

“Now let's see if you've earned your reward.”

“Reward?”

Draco grinned as he pulled out a small box of mini chocolate snitches from his bag, laughing when Elsa's eyes widened at it.

“I thought, since you've been doing so well in Potions lately, you deserve a little reward.”

“... The ones with the liquid chocolate filling?” Elsa asked, biting her lip through an uncontrollable grin.

“Uh-huh.”

He pulled them out of reach when Elsa tried to grab them.

“I'll allow you two errors, any more and you'll have to wait for our next tutoring lesson.”

It took all of Elsa's willpower to not whine. Princesses weren't supposed to whine. Especially not over chocolate.

Sweet, tasty, melting... She busied herself with storing away her quill and ink to not start to drool. How embarrassing.

“Here. You stir the potion three times counter-clockwise, not two times clockwise. But otherwise it's very good.” He handed the homework back, along with the box.

Elsa's face lit up as she took the box, eagerly opening it to get herself a treat.

“Mmmmh... Thank you so much.” She moaned, holding out the box to him so he could take one too.

“No thank you, I'm not much into sweets.”

“How can you not? These are the best pieces of chocolate I've ever had.”

“Ever had warm chocolate cake with liquid filling? They can either be bitter or sweet.”

“You're not kidding, are you? That sounds heavenly.”

Draco chuckled at her. “One day I'll get you a piece.”

“Pinky promise?” Elsa held out her pinky with a playful grin.

The Slytherin rolled his eyes, but took her pinky with his anyways.

“Pinky promise.”

After their tutoring session, Elsa was found kneeling in front of her trunk, rummaging through her dresses. There were many scraps and fabrics of those she already shortened and changed.

Fueled by her idea, she set to work, using spells from the books she bought last summer.

  
It took her a whole hour, but in the end she was quite satisfied with her work. And done just in time for dinner, too.

  
Luna and her met the Gryffindors halfway to the Great Hall and walked the rest of the way together.   
Ginny and Luna were talking animatedly about a dragon whose existence was highly discussed, and Elsa felt a great deal of happiness that the two had clicked so well.

  
"You seem to be in a pretty good mood." Ron noted. "Got another love message?"

  
"I had some chocolate." She said as if it was all explanation needed.

  
The boys exchanged a look. They were too nosy for their own good, like seriously.

  
"And who did you get the chocolate from?"

  
"Would you stop pestering already?" Hermione rolled her eyes and linked arms with Elsa, dragging her ahead.

"They keep teasing me cause they think I sent Lockhart a valentine." She whispered the last part.

  
The corners of Elsa's mouth twitched. "Did you?"

  
Hermione blushed slightly. "Maybe. But don't you dare tell them. It's a secret between us girls."

  
"Of course." Elsa giggled. "The valentine from before was from Anthony Goldstein."

  
"That's not exactly surprising with how he always looks at you."

  
"I never noticed."

  
"Well, he's too shy to actually say something, in fear of rejection." The Gryffindor said wisely. "He's not a bad guy, actually. In comparison to others."

  
"If you're referring to Draco, stop. He hasn't done anything to you in ages."

  
Hermione was quiet for a while. "No, he hasn't. But Pansy and the two blokes keep taunting me."

  
"That's not Draco's fault, either."

  
"Whatever." The brunette rolled her eyes.

  
After dinner, Elsa walked over to the Slytherin table, careful to keep a neutral expression on when she passed the older Quidditch players.   
She was lucky to be a Ravenclaw, since their taunting seemed to focus on Gryffindor especially and Hufflepuff.

  
Draco perked up when he noticed her.

  
"Do you have a minute?" Elsa asked him with a smile, hoping to not appear too eager.

  
"Sure." The blond seemed pleasantly surprised and followed her out of the hall immediately to a lesser crowded hallway.

  
"So, I thought, since you gave me something I wanted to make you a gift too."

  
"Oh, you didn't have to! It was just chocolate!" Draco's cheeks tinted pink.

  
"Mine's nothing special either." She assured, holding out her hand palm-up to present a bracelet.   
It was simple, woven with green, blue and black threads and fabrics.

  
"It's a friendship bracelet, sort of. So you're reminded that I'll always be your friend, even when I'm spending more time with my other friends too."

  
Draco was pretty silent as he stared at the bracelet, making Elsa feel a little self-conscious.  
  


"You don't have to wear it, of course. I just-"

  
"Nonono," Draco interrupted her immediately, clutching the bracelet with wide eyes. "I want to. It's just..." he shrugged, "I never got such a gift before. It's always been expensive stuff, never something so... so meaningful. Thank you."

  
He cleared his throat, averted his gaze shyly and held the bracelet out. "Could you tie it to my wrist?"

  
Giving a relieved smile, Elsa complied, knotting it so it hung comfortably from the pale wrist.  
"I charmed it so it's water resistant and doesn't fray."

  
"That's pretty thoughtful. I like the colors, too." Draco beamed at the bracelet, tracing the pattern with his finger.

  
"Yes, it's for your house and mine. And black for the contrast."

  
"It's the best gift I've ever gotten." Draco's smile was worth the work, Elsa decided.

It turned out that the incident at lunch with the ink had been good for something.

The next day Harry had told them about how the ink had vanished, as if absorbed into the book. That night he had tried writing into it, to see if it would be absorbed too.

Apparently the book was enchanted, since it held a written conversation with Harry.

And of course Harry had taken the chance to ask about the Chamber of Secrets.

Stranger things had happened, so Elsa wasn't even surprised anymore when he told them he'd been time-traveling or something similar, to 50 years ago.

His voice was almost gone with how excitedly he was whispering, green eyes impossible wide behind his glasses.

“... and Tom Riddle surprised Hagrid when he was smuggling a spider!”

“A spider?”

“Yes, but like, the size of a dog.” Harry frowned with a sigh. “I can't believe he was the one opening the chamber the first time...”

“Do you really think he did? I mean, did you _see_ it in your memory?” Elsa asked.

She couldn't imagine the nice and sensitive half-giant go around and petrify students.

“No, not really. But he's been expelled, because of it.”

Hermione pursed her lips. “I don't buy it. Maybe he's been falsely accused. Hagrid is way too nice.”

“Why don't we just ask him?”

Ron rolled his eyes. “Sure. If I had been expelled because of something like this I'd want to be interrogated about it too.” He said sarcastically.

“Well, there's been no new victims. Maybe, _whoever_ is responsible, stopped. We should let it go for now and let the teachers handle it for once.”

**xxx**

“This certainly doesn't look like a wand.” Hermione commented unnecessarily when Ron's post arrived on his birthday in March.

“Ugh. How am I supposed to pass my exams with a broken wand?” Ron groaned when he tore open a letter from his parents.

“Ginny offered to lend you hers.” Hermione noted.

“... Oh wow.” The Weasley concentrated on the letter. “Mom and dad won a vacation in Egypt for the whole family.”

“Egypt? Wow, cool. You gotta make lots of pictures.” Harry said, leaning over to read the letter too. “In a real hotel?”

“A muggle hotel. Dad won it through a one of the muggle newspapers he's collecting. Look, they sent a photo. They have everything there, large pools, shops, a hairdresser...”

Elsa yawned behind her hand, lazily stirring in a cup of hot chocolate. “They have to, for the tourists. It's pretty dangerous to leave the hotel section because of their current political issues.”

At the looks she received, she shrugged. She should definitely be more careful to not let information like this slip.

“Newspapers can be _read_ too, you know.”

“Boooring. But hey, they promise that I'm gonna get a brand new wand before the new school year.”

“At least that's something. Your broken wand is a hazard.” Hermione took the photo to look at it.

“By the way, I think if we paint a few freckles on you, you could pass as a Weasley too.” Ron scratched his nose, looking at Elsa.

“Oh, I'm not coming with you this summer, but thanks for the offer. It's been ages I've been at... at the orphanage. I promised a friend I'd come home.”

Ron's shoulders drooped. “But then I'll have no one besides my siblings to talk to...”

“The horror.” Harry jokingly agreed.

“Ex-squeeze us, we're feeling royally offended.” George's voice called out when the twins flopped down by them.

“Why do you always show up when we're talking about you?” Ron asked exasperatedly.

“Big brother super powers.”

“So what did our sensitive ears hear? Princess is not going to join the big Weasley vacation?” Elsa tried to not appear too annoyed.

“How do you already know about the vacation?” Ron held up the piece of parchment. “Mom just sent the letter.”

“Please, she wrote to Percy a week ago. It's supposed to be a surprise for you.”

“And who would we be if we spoiled that surprise for you?”

“My brothers.” Ron rolled his eyes and shoved a piece of bacon in his mouth.

Fred grabbed some bacon himself. “Give me one good reason why you don't want to spend the summer with us again.”

George put a hand over his heart. “It's Percy, isn't it? Don't worry, we'll keep him and his wild hair away from you.”

Elsa smiled and shook her head. “It's not Percy. I have a friend at home, she's like my little sister. And I haven't seen her for a long time, so I'll visit the orphanage this summer.”

“I'm deeply wounded. How are we to survive without the royal highness among us?”

Letting out an exasperated breath Elsa grabbed her bag and stood up.

“See you in Transfiguration.” She bade her goodbye before leaving the Great Hall.

Things were seeming to go back to normal. It would be only a matter of time until the mandrakes were old enough to get the victims back to their normal state.

At least this was what it looked like.

One rainy Saturday afternoon, Elsa was surprised when Flitwick asked her to join him to the hospital wing.

On the way they came across a distraught Professor McGonagall, leading equally confused Ron and Harry to the same destination.

The three youths were shocked to find Hermione laying in one of the beds, pale and petrified.

“We found her in the hallway of the library. She's been holding a mirror. We assume she's been using it to see around the corner...”

Elsa felt as if she was petrified herself. One of her closest friends had also fallen victim to the monster. And she had been so careful, too.   
But why did she think to use a mirror? Did she find something out?

  
She noticed Ron sending Harry a meaningful look. They'd have to talk to Hagrid. Even if he didn't open the chamber the last time, maybe he could give them a hint.

  
Though Elsa vastly doubted it. If Hagrid knew something about the chamber of secrets he surely would've told Dumbledore at least.

  
It appeared to be a quite hard task, since it was forbidden to walk around alone anymore by the staff. The students would be escorted by the professors to prevent further victims. It was annoying to an extent, but Elsa couldn't help but feel safer with a teacher around.

  
She wasn't quite happy when Harry and Ron planned on visiting Hagrid at night a few days later, but her curiosity won of course. And with Ron and Harry around, she felt at least a little bit safer.

  
However, the visit was fruitless. Hagrid wasn't quite able to tell them more.

  
A knock on the heavy door startled the trio. Hagrid urged them to hide under the cloak again before opening the door and letting in three visitors: Dumbledore, the minister of magic Cornelius Fudge, and Lucius Malfoy as representative for the parents.

  
Apparently they came to the conclusion that having Hagrid around was too dangerous, as he was the main suspect in opening the chamber _again_ and putting him in Azkaban was the only solution they could think of.

  
Elsa and Ron had to hold Harry back so he wouldn't blow their cover.   
But that wasn't all. They also saw Dumbledore unfit to lead the school any longer, with how the chamber has been opened and the monster seemingly out of control under his watch.

  
It was hard watching this all and being unable to do anything. Having studied diplomatic through one or two books and having watched a few business meetings herself, Elsa knew it wouldn't do any good if three teenagers would reveal their sneaking around in the middle of the night in a prime suspect's hut, with no real proof that it wasn't Hagrid's fault nor Dumbledore's.

At the moment Fudge and Malfoy had the upper hand.

  
The problem was, Elsa had no idea how to get proof aside from finding the real bad guy. And they had no leads at all.

  
Hagrid glanced in their direction before declaring unnecessarily loud that if one was to find something out, they'd have to follow the spiders.

Elsa swore she saw Dumbledore also give their invisible selves a glance.

  
When the hut was empty, Harry pulled the cloak off them.

  
"We have to find the real heir of Slytherin!"

  
"But how? Hagrid's been our only lead."

  
"He told us to follow the spiders..." Harry mumbled, watching a set of spiders crawling out the window.

  
Elsa shuddered. "You cant be serious."

  
"We have to prove his innocence, Elsa. We can't just let him rot in Azkaban while the real evil is running around freely and petrifying more people!"

  
The princess felt really uncomfortable to follow a few icky spiders in the dark. Especially since it looked like they were heading to the Forbidden Forest. But she had no other choice, she couldn't just let her friends go alone, especially without Hermione around to assist them with her knowledge.

  
She doubted she'd be of any more help in a dark forest, if she was honest.

  
Casting _Lumos_ , she lit the way for them while Harry kept his eyes on the trail of spiders leading them into the woods.

  
"You know, we could ask McGonagall to come with us." She tried.

  
"Yeah right, you've seen how she reacted with the Philosopher's Stone last year." Ron rolled his eyes.

  
"They'd send us to bed and wouldn't do anything." Harry added bitterly.

  
That it would probably be less dangerous if they did, Elsa kept to herself.

  
The spiders let them to a sort of cave consisting of thick roots.   
Elsa almost dropped her wand in shock at the gigantic spider sitting in the middle of it.

All around it, hidden in the shadowy places the moonlight didn't reach, there were spiders of various sizes, the majority as big as a large dog.

  
The blonde shuddered and stepped closer to her friends with a grimace. This wouldn't end well.

  
Harry talked to the largest spider, but Elsa couldn't concentrate on the conversation. The beasts were slowly closing in on them. There were so many!

  
As expected, the giant spider wouldn't let them just leave.   
The three teens tried to fend them off as good as possible, but there were just too many.

  
"Do something, Elsa!"

  
"I'm _trying_!"

  
None of the spells she knew would be able to get rid of them for good. And with them coming from all sides, even from above, there was no way she could efficiently ward them off... at least not with normal spells.

  
Their rescue came with shining headlights. A light blue Ford Anglia was driving itself right into the spider pit.

  
"Dad's car!" Ron exclaimed, relieved. His broken wand was practically useless against the arachnids.

  
They managed to fight their way through the spiders, when one of them jumped right at Elsa, startling her bad enough that she threw her hands up in defense.   
There was a thunking sound and complete silence. Elsa let her shaking hands sink to reveal a bunch of frozen spiders all around. The giant leader was also immobile, and to her great shock her friends were covered in a thin layer of sparkling white, almost looking like the petrified victims.

  
Trying to control her panic, Elsa concentrated on thawing her friends.

  
"Woah, what happened? Why is it so cold?!"

  
"Ice charm, get in the car!" Elsa ordered in a moment of quick thinking, having trouble to stay calm.

  
Her powers acted up all on their own. She was panicking, her emotions were on high alert. Fear was her greatest enemy, the trolls had said, and they've been right.

  
However, shes been able to rescue them from the spiders. It didn't matter.

  
Her heart was still practically vibrating in her rib-cage, on the verge of squeezing up through her throat. They had survived, but barely.

  
"What's wrong with Hagrid?!" Ron exclaimed after they left the car by the hut. " _Follow the spiders?!_ "

  
"Don't you understand, we learned something very important!" Harry said, eyes wide.

  
"Psh, yeah. _Never_ follow spiders. Don't go anywhere without Hermione or Elsa around. Don't-"

  
"We found out that Hagrid didn't open the chamber all those years ago. He's innocent."

  
"Could've just told us, but nooo..." Ron grumbled, huddling under the invisibility cloak with Harry and Elsa.

  
The Ravenclaw bit her lip as they walked back to the castle.   
"The problem is, he was our only lead..."

  
The dead end in this case was lowering their spirits even more. The fear was palpable, so many muggleborns were scared to be next and kept their distance around Harry, trying to not be a victim of his wrath.

As if he would attack one of his best friends, Elsa thought bitterly. She was especially jumpy, gladly following the rule of only moving in the castle with a professor or a prefect around.

  
"Geeze, you're not even concentrating." Draco gently scolded her in the library one afternoon.

  
"Its hard to concentrate on Potions when there's a wild monster out and about." Elsa defended herself, scratching the wrong passage.

  
The Slytherin sighed. "It only attacked muggleborns so far, you don't have a reason to worry."

  
He frowned when Elsa averted her gaze, fumbling with her sleeve. She knew she couldn't boast her secret around, even though she didn't believe Draco would use it against her. At least she hoped so.

  
She eyed the bracelet she got him for Valentine's Day.  
"I... I kind of lied about that."  
From her peripheral vision Elsa saw him turn to look fully at her. "I'm actually muggleborn."

  
She chanced a glance at his face. When he didn't respond, she shrugged and looked back down to her book.

  
"I got the advice to keep it a secret. And I have to admit I didn't regret it when I saw how you treated Hermione the first week."

  
There were a few long minutes of silence. "I understand if you're mad."

  
"Just... just give me a little time to digest that." He mumbled at thin air, frowning down at his own homework.

  
Elsa bit her lip. She really didn't want to lose Draco as a friend. On the other hand she was glad that he knew part of the truth now. Being a princess could probably get her in higher standards again, that's why she didn't tell him right away.

She was sure he wasn't the Heir, Harry and Ron had made sure of that during Christmas break. But was their friendship strong enough for him to accept her blood status?

The answer to that would have to wait. It seemed to have stroke some nerve in him, and Elsa wouldn't go about urging him to work this out for himself. She sure didn't want another episode where he distances himself because she's overbearing again.

A few days later Harry, Ron and Elsa asked Flitwick to escort them to the hospital to visit Hermione.

“I'm afraid that's not possible.” The small man sighed unhappily. “With Professor Dumbledore gone, Madam Pomfrey is stepping up with security measures.”

The three students exchanged a look. Elsa bit her lip.

“We understand, professor. Could we go to the library instead? For homework.”

Flitwick adjusted his glasses. “Ehm, I guess that would be alright... though Madam Pince is not in a good mood lately, and I have to work with the choir later...”

“The choir is still going? With the monster on the lose?” Ron exclaimed.

“Well, it's best to distract yourself from these horrible incidents.” Flitwick shook his head.

“That is very true, professor.” Elsa said in an understanding tone. “The thing is, concentrating on homework is distracting us from all this.”

“Especially since Hermione's fallen victim too...” Harry added, catching on.

Flitwick gave a mix between a gasp and a sob. “Of course. Come on, I'll bring you to the library and send another professor to escort you to your common rooms in two hours. But no longer.”

“Of course, thank you, professor.”

In the library they were alone, save for Madam Pince jumpily reading a horror novel.

The three of them were sitting at a table far away from her desk.

“What exactly are we doing here? I mean, yeah, the common room is totally stuffed every evening, but... homework? Really?” Ron asked.

Elsa sighed. “Don't be silly, Ron. I wanted to do some research.”

“About the chamber again? Hermione combed every single book a million times and didn't find anything.”

The blonde leaned closer. “I'm pretty sure she did. I mean, why would she walk around with a mirror? I think she found out what the monster is.”

Ron and Harry both blinked. “But how are _we_ supposed to find out what kind of creature it is? She said they were all deadly, or _not_ able to petrify people.”

“Not to mention that one of the teachers would know about such a beast.”

Elsa clicked her tongue. “Hermione found it, so we can find it too. Now start looking.”

She wouldn't be able to have a goodnight sleep ever again if the monster wasn't captured soon.

The two hours were almost up when Harry suddenly called for their attention.

“Look... someone ripped a page...”

Indeed, there was a page missing from one of the books about deadly and rare creatures.

“Maybe that was Hermione's doing.”

Ron scrunched up his face. “D'you really think Hermione is capable of tearing precious books? That's just as unlikely as Elsa cursing.”

The princess gave him a disapproving stare, but chose to ignore the comment about her.

“The situation is grave enough. Could be she's been in a hurry.”

“But how do we find out what page she took?”

“Ah, The Poisonous Powerplant, a really good choice. I can give you a signed copy of my adventurous book about the-”

“Oh no...” Ron planted his face on the table. “Not him.”

The three equally winced when Lockhart noticed them and strolled over.

“Hurry up, let's get you back to your common rooms. I have an interview for the latest version of the Witch Weekly in ten minutes.”

Grateful that their interaction would be cut short, they hurried to follow him.

Since the Gryffindor common room was nearer, they went there first and Lockhart impatiently waited until the boys were safe behind the portrait of the fat lady.

Then they passed an open classroom, still ways from the Ravenclaw tower.

Through the open door they could see a witch with an autonomously writing quill and a photographer. Lockhart gave a winning smile that had the witch blushing darkly and giggling.

Penelope Clearwater was with them.

“Miss Clearwater, thank you for entertaining this talented young reporter lady while I was away. Now it's best if you and Miss Winters here go to your common room so we can get started.”

Elsa frowned up at the professor.

“Wouldn't it be safer if you'd escort us?” It was the rule, after all. Safety precautions.

“Oh, don't you worry. The last attack has been mere days ago, statistically speaking you won't be in danger. Plus, your prefect is perfectly capable of defending you both.”

The princess greatly doubted Lockhart had any idea of statistics. Penelope wasn't helping with her blushing at the praise.

“Professor Lockhart, I really think it would be safer to follow the rules and-”

“Your common room is just around the corner.” He laughed and patted Elsa's shoulder, whose heart was beating faster out of fear.

“You'll be there in seconds. You will be fine, won't you?”

Penelope took the hint and put an arm around Elsa's shoulders. “Of course we will.” She smiled sweetly at the teacher, steering her fellow Ravenclaw out into the hallway.

“He's great, he knows what he's doing.” The prefect tried to assure her.

Elsa didn't feel assured at all. Penelope was muggleborn too. They were an easy target now, still too far away from their common room.

Without anyone walking around, it was eerily quiet. From further away, a weird shifting sound alerted them.

“Uhm...” Penelope cleared her throat and pulled out her wand, Elsa following suite. “We should probably hurry.”

“Do you have a mirror with you, maybe?” Elsa asked, voice thin with adrenaline.

“What? I think we should just concentrate on getting to the common room, you can check your hair later.”

Inwardly, Elsa cursed. Hermione would have had a reason to use a mirror. It hadn't helped, but still.

There was the sound again, closer this time. They stopped at an intersection both their breathes hitching.

“That sounded like scraping...” Penelope whispered.

“W-Was that a... a hiss?” Elsa matched Penelope's tone, hands shaking.

The prefect took hold of Elsa's elbow. “Y-You know what, Professor Vector's office is just-”

An especially loud hiss from just around the corner had Elsa yelp and out of instinct shot a blast of ice in the direction, creating a wall just as a giant snake was appearing.

The princess' hand flew to her mouth in shock. The beast was huge. Large yellow eyes were practically burning through the wall of ice, tongue slipping out shortly only to retreat when it came in contact with the cold surface.

Elsa couldn't move, the only thing really moving was her heart. It beat rapidly against her rib cage, and she was vaguely worried the ribs would crack under the pressure.

The snake slowly curled its large body to go back the way it came from. Only when it was gone did Elsa lower her hand, knees weak from the shock.

She couldn't speak yet, but dared to look at Penelope next to her.

A breathless scream took Elsa's oxygen once more. The older girl was as stiff as a statue, petrified.

* * *


	10. Chapter 10

* * *

_The snake slowly curled its large body to go back the way it came from. Only when it was gone did Elsa lower her hand, knees weak from the shock._

_She couldn't speak yet, but dared to look at Penelope next to her._

_A breathless scream took Elsa's oxygen once more. The older girl was as stiff as a statue, petrified._

The blonde fell backwards against the wall, careful not to touch any surface in fear of accidentally freezing anything. But how?! Why her? Why was Elsa spared?

She needed to get a professor. But what if the snake came back?

“What's going on out he-” A strict woman's voice rang out as she stepped out from a door at the end of the hallway Elsa was in.

It was Professor Vector, the teacher for Arithmancy.

She saw the two students, one petrified, and the ice wall and hurried over.

“Oh my, what happened? Why were you out here alone?!”

“I... I...” Elsa's throat felt closed up, her eyes starting to water.

Why wasn't she petrified too? The snake hasn't gotten around the ice to really attack them. It had only _stared_ at them both. What was wrong with _her_? And what would the professors think?

“Kafka, get Minerva and Filius!”

A completely black cat with green eyes that had come out from her office too ran off.

Vector put a hand to Elsa's shoulder, catching her eye. “Are you hurt? Can you tell me what happened?”

Elsa shook her head quickly to the first question, trying to find her voice to properly answer the second.

Faster than expected both McGonagall and Flitwick hurried to them. The current headmistress gasped at the sight that greeted her.

Flitwick hurried to examine the petrified prefect, distress clear on his face that it had hit one of his Ravenclaws.

“What happened, Septima?” McGonagall demanded to know.

“I was just grading papers in my office when I heard a scream. I found them like this.”

“Miss Winters, I need an explanation!”

Elsa flinched, throat still closed up. She was grateful for Flitwick stepping up for her.

“Now Minerva, don't you see she's in shock. Perhaps it's best if we bring her and poor Miss Clearwater to Poppy. And when she's calmed down she will tell us what happened.”

McGonagall couldn't even be blamed for her behavior. Beneath her own shock, Elsa could understand how the responsibility weighed her down.

Getting Penelope to the hospital wing after using a fire spell to thaw the ice wall was giving Elsa time to actually get her bearings back.

The queasiness vanished when Madam Pomfrey made her drink a calming potion, too.

She couldn't tell the teachers what she saw. They would come to the same conclusion as her; that something must be very wrong with her.

While it would widen the range of help to find out what exactly, it could also end badly if it turned out to be something horrible.

The adults gathered around the bed she was sitting on.

“Now, Elsa,” Flitwick started, voice shaking a little, “what happened? Why were you two alone? Where is Professor Lockhart?”

Elsa took a breath. “He picked us up from the library, and after we dropped off Harry and Ron we passed the Muggle Studies classroom. Penelope was there with a reporter...”

She fiddled with her sleeves. “He thought there wouldn't be another attack so soon after the other and sent us away so he could start his interview.”

Too calmed by the potion she didn't even feel slightly guilty for telling on Lockhart. It had indeed been horribly irresponsible of him.

McGonagall shook her head in disbelief.

“We heard noises and Penelope wanted to turn around to get you, Professor Vector,” Elsa glanced at the woman, “but then we heard the noise just around the corner.”

She didn't know how much Penelope would remember when she woke up.

“I-I cast an ice spell out of instinct and turned around b-because I was scared, to be honest. When I opened my eyes again I saw Penelope was petrified...”

“Ice charm? At this young age, how marve-”

“Filius, please.” McGonagall scolded the excitable professor. “So you have no idea what it was?”

The reminder made her eyes water again. Elsa pulled her handkerchief from her sleeve to wipe them and shook her head.

“It sounded like scraping... like something being dragged on the ground.”

“Minerva, this is getting out of hand.” Madam Pomfrey shook her head. “The mandrakes are ready for the draught in a week, but if this is really like the last time the chamber was opened... It's only a matter of time until there's another...” she lowered her voice after a glance at Elsa, but the princess could hear her very clearly still, “... murder.”

Professor Vector crossed her arms. “Now let's not assume the worst. Our safety precautions would've worked just fine if Lockhart had followed them. Just sends two muggleborn students around alone in the late evening! How irresponsible can he be?!”

It felt good to have someone say it out loud. Finally someone who wasn't fooled by his charming smile.

“I'm definitely going to have words with him.” McGonagall assured, face as pale as her colleagues'.

“We're going to stick to the precautions for now and remind the students _and_ teachers to follow them thoroughly. Albus wanted to keep the school going as normal as possible.”

“But at what cost?” Flitwick said. “If there's another attack-”

“ _If_ another attack happens, we're closing Hogwarts.”

Elsa felt like she wasn't supposed to hear this, but they could hardly send her outside for their talk.

She felt oddly exhausted all of a sudden, a bone-deep weariness spreading all over her. Must've been in the calming potion.

“Um, excuse me... may I go to bed...?”

“Oh dear, of course!” Madam Pomfrey fussed, pushing her to keep sitting when Elsa made a move to get up. “I'm going to get you a pajama.”

“Septima, please stay and make sure nothing gets inside here. We don't want it to come and try finish what it started. I'll send Bathsheda and Aurora here to take over later.”

Elsa tiredly laid down without changing, eyes closing themselves as soon as her head hit the pillow.

“Filius, please inform Severus and Pomona to remind their houses of the severity of the situation. I will-”

When Elsa woke up from her dreamless sleep the next morning, she was laying comfortably under the covers.

Madam Pomfrey had changed her into a nightgown and drawn the curtains around her bed.

The happenings from last night caught up with her, having her sitting up abruptly. She needed to get into the library again to look up a giant monster snake.

And she needed to talk to Harry and Ron.

Her robes were neatly folded at the foot end of the bed, and she hurried to get dressed again.

Aside from a few more curtains around the petrified victims the room was quite empty. Elsa had no idea where the mediwitch was, but she heard footsteps pacing the door. Probably a professor guarding the hospital wing.

The princess went for Hermione's bed, looking down at her friend's still form. It could've been her, too. It _should've_ been her, and she didn't understand why she wasn't.

She blinked when she noticed Hermione was holding something in her frozen fist. From first glance it could've been mistaken as a tissue.

Elsa bit her lip, making sure that Madam Pomfrey wasn't around before forcing her fingers open to retrieve the page.

Hearing the mediwitch approaching, she quickly stored the crumpled up paper in her cloak pocket and stumbled away from Hermione's bed.

“Ah, you're awake. What- What are you doing?”

“Getting to classes?” Elsa said carefully. She had no idea what time it was, but since she was used to getting up early it couldn't have been too late.

Madam Pomfrey examined her with a flick of her wand before giving a small nod.

“Professor Flitwick will come by with the Ravenclaws and pick you up to get to the Great Hall for breakfast.”

In the Great Hall, Elsa made straight to Ron and Harry.

“Elsa! What happened? McGonagall was totally shaken up yesterday. She said there was another victim!”

“Yes, Penelope Clearwater...”

Percy, who was sitting next to Ron, let his fork drop. “Penelope?”

Elsa nodded and glanced at the Ravenclaw table, where Becky was being comforted by Cho.

“I have to see her!” Percy exclaimed, appearing very shaken. The other Gryffindor prefect held him back and reminded him that they weren't even allowed inside.

Elsa gripped the paper in her pocket, burning to read it. She'd bet everything she had that that was the ripped page. Hermione would never rip a book without a reason.

“Are you okay?” Ron voiced his concern.

Elsa leaned in, making the two boys follow suite. “I think I know what the monster is.”

“What? Did you see it?”

The blonde hesitated. “No. But when I woke up in the hospital wing I found the ripped page in Hermione's hand.”

“Hold on, hospital?”

“I was there when Penelope was attacked, but I didn't see the monster because I had my eyes closed. Madam Pomfrey gave me a calming potion that put me to sleep.”

“What monster is it?” Harry excitedly whispered.

“Not here...” She gulped, inwardly scolding herself for even suggesting it. “I'd rather do it somewhere less crowded. Myrtle's bathroom perhaps.”

Ron scrunched up his nose. “That's gonna be a problem with how hawk-like they're watching us now...”

“I got the invisibility cloak on me, we can sneak off when Lockhart escorts us to lunch later.”

Ravenclaw and Slytherin had History of Magic, but since Professor Binns as a ghost wouldn't be of any help in case of another attack, Lockhart would get them too.

Elsa winced. “It could be he's gonna be more attentive. McGonagall probably gave him the lecture of his life for leaving Penelope and me alone for his stupid interview.”

A glance at the teachers' table confirmed the theory. Lockhart had an uneasy expression on his face, avoiding to look at McGonagall and concentrating on forcing smiles at a few students.

“We'll just stay in the back. There's no way he can only keep an eye on us 24/7.” Harry said, lowering his voice again. “And it's good that we sneak into Myrtle's bathroom again. Remember our visit in the forest?”

Ron deadpanned. “How could we forget that near-death experience?”

“Ssh. The giant spider said that a girl died when the chamber was opened fifty years ago.”

“McGonagall said that too yesterday.” Elsa confirmed. She had no idea what the spider had said, she's been way to focused on the hundreds of other spiders trying to kill them.

Harry nodded. “And it also said she was found in a bathroom.”

Elsa bit her lip, connecting the dots. “You think Myrtle was killed by the monster?”

“We never asked her how she died, it could be possible.”

“Of course we never asked her because all she does is whining.” Ron shrugged uneasily. “But even if she knows something, why didn't she just tell someone?”

“We'll ask her when we see her later.”

“Let's talk about something else now, Snape is watching us.” Elsa murmured, grabbing a piece of toast.

**xxx**

“Is it true what they say? That you've been attacked?” Since Professor Binns wasn't there yet, Draco used the time to talk to her.

Elsa sighed, feeling really uneasy as she turned around and nodded. She didn't want to revive the fear she's felt the evening before.

And especially she didn't want to think about what was ahead of them. The crumpled up paper felt as heavy as a ton of bricks in her pocket.

Draco appeared genuinely shocked. “Are you okay?”

“I think so, yes. Just a little... shaken up.”

The Slytherin examined her with his eyes to check for any visible injuries. Elsa shrugged one shoulder and sighed again.

“I haven't been hurt or anything. It was just a scare.”

“Why were you and Clearwater even alone outside?”

Anthony, who's been partly listening, turned to join the conversation. “Haven't you heard? Lockhart just sent them off so he could have his interview in peace.”

The expression taking over Draco's features could easily be described as murderous. “... What?”

“Yeah, as if the attacks weren't bad enough, that bloke endangers us even more with his stupid interviews.” Anthony agreed.

“It's fine, just let it go. McGonagall took care of him already, it won't happen again.” Elsa faced the blackboard again when Professor Binns appeared through it.

After class ended, they waited for Lockhart to arrive with the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs to pick them up for the Great Hall.

For a while Elsa was worried she wouldn't be able to shake off Draco and Anthony, but as soon as their classmates appeared with Lockhart, the two walked up straight to him, engaging him in a rather one-sided conversation.

A very uncomfortable conversation for the celebrity teacher, she noted.

It worked to their favor, too.

“They look ready for murder.” Ron mumbled when Elsa joined them in the back.

“They're a tiny bit overprotective it seems.”

“At least he's distracted.” Harry timed it right, and threw the cloak over them when they reached the right floor.

The three of them made sure to stay quiet when they sneaked into Myrtle's bathroom.

“Who's there?!”

“It's us.” Elsa called out and pulled the cloak off, hoping Myrtle would keep quiet about their whereabouts.

“Oh. Hi Elsa... and hey Harry.” She grinned at Harry.

Ron made a gagging noise, earning a hit to the arm.

Elsa pulled out the crumpled up paper and flattened it out with a pounding heart. A vague picture of a snake was in the middle, a basilisk.

Left and right from her, Ron and Harry leaned in to read the text too.

The basilisk was a giant snake, just like the one Elsa had seen the night before.

A rooster's cry was hurting him. That would explain Hagrid's roosters being missing.

Spiders were scared of it, that's why they had fled the castle.

“That's why I could hear it talking... because I'm a parselmouth and it's a snake!” Harry exclaimed.

“Do you think that's the thing that attacked you yesterday? Even if you didn't see it?”

Elsa tried to calm her shaking fingers and nodded curtly. Her gaze was fixated on one special line.

The basilisk's stare is deadly.

Ron and Harry found that part too. “B-But that can't be. None of the victims are dead.”

Elsa remembered the big yellow eyes, slightly blurry through the wall of ice.

“Yes, because nobody really looked at it. Penelope saw it through ice. And Hermione had her mirror.”

Harry nodded, eyes wide with realization. “Justin saw it through the Nearly Headless Nick, who was already dead and couldn't die again of course. And Colin was looking through his camera.”

“But what about Mrs Norris? I don't think she had a camera or a mirror.” Ron tilted his head.

“Do you remember the puddle on the ground? I bet she saw the reflection there.” Elsa reminded.

“This looks familiar.” The three jumped at Myrtle's voice right behind them.

Harry faced her. “Myrtle, do you remember how you died?”

“Mhm, it was horrible.”

“When we first met you said you've been hiding because someone bullied you.” Elsa recalled.

Myrtle nodded. “Yes. It was in that stall, right there. The door opened and I heard mumbling. When I realized it was a boy I left the cubicle to tell him to _fuck off_ but suddenly... I was dead.” She sniffed pitifully.

“The only thing I remember were a pair of big yellow eyes.”

Elsa almost ripped the page with how she was shaking. What on earth was wrong with her? She was not petrified, and certainly not dead. Why didn't the basilisk's stare have an effect on her?

“Do you think the chamber of secrets is somewhere here?” Ron looked around as if he'd miraculously find the entrance all of a sudden.

Myrtle pointed at one of the sinks. “The snake was there. But no idea what it was doing there.”

Harry walked over to examine the sink, gasping when he found a snake engraved in the faucet. He tapped it with a finger.

“I think you're right, Ron... It looks like the entrance to the chamber is here...”

“Great, then let's tell McGonagall.” Elsa wrapped her arms around herself, taking a step back from the sinks. She definitely didn't want to be here when the basilisk came back.

“Elsa's right.” Ron nodded. “We don't want a repeat of last year.”

Harry frowned at the sink, hesitating. Elsa could tell he was burning with curiosity.

“Alright...”

“Myrtle, could you maybe check if there is a class coming? We need a crowd to get to the Great Hall, or the professors will get suspicious.” The blonde said.

With the entrance to the chamber found and the monster revealed, it should be easy for the teachers to seal it. They'd be safe again, no need to worry.

“A couple of fourth year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws are coming our way.” Myrtle informed them, appearing excited for once instead of whiny.

“Who is escorting them?”

“Some woman, I believe she's teaching Astronomy.”

“Sinistra.” Ron groaned. He hated Astronomy with passion.

“That's good. We'll just blend in with our housemates.”

They huddled under the cloak again. Elsa had to drag Harry by his arm when the class passed because he was still eyeing the faucet.

Fortunately none of the teachers had noticed them arriving with the wrong class. Elsa stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed Draco sitting next to Anthony at the Ravenclaw table, discussing something.

What on earth was he doing?

She sighed, mentally exhausted. “We better tell her right away.” Elsa eyed the teachers' table.

“Uh, I'd rather we think about an explanation first, about how we found out.” Ron was pale. “She's gonna expel us for sure when she finds out about Harry's invisibility cloak and our sneaking around...”

“We found the entrance to the chamber of secrets and know what the monster is. I don't think she's gonna-”

“Do I have to remind you of last year when we told her about the Philosopher's stone?” Harry deadpanned.

Elsa rubbed her temple. “Alright. We'll think of something. But tonight at dinner we tell her, no matter the reason. I don't want another attack to happen if we wait too long.”

The boys agreed and they parted to sit at their respective tables. Elsa mentally prepared herself when she subtly sat down next to Luna at the end of the table purposefully.

She mentally counted down when she took a piece of chicken. 5... 4... 3... 2...

“Where the heck have you been?!” Draco and Anthony had scooted in the seats across from them.

Elsa forced herself to appear innocent. “Oh, a special reason you're sitting at our table today, Draco?”

“Don't start with me, Winters.”

“I have no idea what you're talking about.”

Anthony tapped the table. “You weren't there when we arrived in the Great Hall. Did you wander off with Potter and Weasley again? Not even a day after you've been attacked?!”

Elsa blinked at the stern expressions. Why was everyone so overprotective lately?

“I just had to use the bathroom and the two waited for me so I wouldn't have to walk here alone.” She said simply, surprised at how easy the lie fell from her lips.

Well, technically it wasn't a lie.

“There's a reason the teachers made the rule to-”

“Seriously, Lockhart is the last professor I'd want to wait for me while I'm in the bathroom.”

That had them shut up at least for a while. Elsa poked the chicken on her plate with a fork.

Luna was suspiciously quiet.

“Is everything okay?” The older Ravenclaw asked.

“Not really...” Luna sighed. “Ginny is really weird lately. She wouldn't let herself be cheered up either.”

Elsa frowned, concern displayed on her face. She didn't spot the youngest Weasley anywhere. “Where is she?”

“She had some sort of panic attack in Charms... Flitwick brought her to the hospital wing. I hope she's alright...”

“I'm sure she'll be fine...” Elsa bit her lip. Her brothers had no idea yet, and couldn't even visit her.

She felt horrible. She had promised Mrs Weasley she would take care of Ginny, and still she hadn't noticed how the redhead seemed to have issues.

Draco and Anthony had taken up their discussion about Transfiguration again, which was a welcome distraction for Elsa.

**xxx**

“I don't care if you don't have an excuse yet, we have to tell her!” Elsa scolded Harry and Ron at dinner.

“Easy for you, Flitwick probably would praise you for getting in trouble.”

Elsa had the urge to hit Ron. “If you're so scared of McGonagall we can just tell Flitwick.”

“And he's gonna tell McGonagall. Same difference.”

“You've lost your mind, haven't you? We have to tell the teachers so they can put an end to it!”

“Ssh!” Harry hushed her, making Elsa roll her eyes exasperatedly. She couldn't believe them.

“Fine, I'm gonna tell her and keep your names out of it.”

The door burst open, Filch limping inside in a hurry, face scrunched up in a sort of panic.

It was deathly quiet all of a sudden, everyone trying to hear what Filch was whispering to McGonagall. Especially when the current headmistress became as white as a sheet.

Elsa's stomach did an unpleasant flip.

“Your house teachers will bring you all to your common rooms now, dinner will be finished there. Then the professors will meet up with me by the muggle studies classroom.”

There was lots of murmuring then. What had happened? Another attack?

The three exchanged uneasy looks as they followed the stream of students.

They were lucky that the Ravenclaws and Gryffindors had the same direction so it wasn't hard hiding in plain sight.

McGonagall and Flitwick were leading the crowd, both very distraught.

“Anthony could tell Flitwick I'm not there if we leave now...” Elsa bit her lip. “I'm just gonna tell Flitwick what we found out.”

Ron grabbed her arms. “So could my bros. But with how stuffed the common room will be it's unlikely he notices it immediately.”

Harry nodded. “And they seem to be in a hurry to get away to the incident. I want to know what has them so frazzled.”

Elsa took a deep breath. She really needed new friends. “Fine. We take a look and then tell a professor so this can end.”

“Sure.”

“Promise me that we tell a professor as soon as we know what happened.”

The Gryffindors rolled their eyes but complied. “We promise.”

Satisfied with that, they let themselves fall behind and vanished under the invisibility cloak Harry carried with him.

Huddled together, they sneaked to the muggle studies classroom.

Already a few doors ahead in the hallway there were the rest of the teachers, discussing something and gesturing at the wall. Each of them appeared rather shocked.

It was a hassle getting a look with so many professors standing around. Especially Snape, who was holding himself in the background.

Harry hissed when Ron stepped on his foot, clamping his own hand over his mouth to not draw attention.

As soon as they got a look at the new writing on the wall, Elsa's hands flew both over her mouth.

HER SKELETON WILL LIE IN THE CHAMBER FOREVER

The rest of the house heads arrived at the same time. McGonagall shook her head in disbelief, having a hard time composing herself.

“Minerva... does this mean what I think it does?”

“I'm afraid so... The heir brought a student into the chamber of secrets...”

“Who? Who did he take?”

McGonagall hesitated. “Ginny Weasley apparently never came back from the hospital wing.”

She glanced at Lockhart, who held up his hands innocently.

“It couldn't have been my fault.”

“She was there until classes ended, and you've been on guard duty from three to six.” Professor Vector said, her tone strict and annoyed.

Elsa decided she liked her.

She could practically hear Ron's blood leave his face as he slumped, Harry having trouble keeping the cloak around them.

Ginny... poor, innocent Ginny... kidnapped.

“It's not the time for blame games, I believe.” He sulked.

Snape sneered at him. “Didn't you say you already figured out where the entrance to the chamber was? Perhaps it's time you live up to your literary adventures.”

At the expectant looks he received from his colleagues, Lockhart cleared his throat. “Ah, uh, yes, of course. I'm gonna prepare.”

With that he stiffly stormed off towards his office.

Professor Sinistra frowned when he left. “He doesn't really know, does he?”

“Pah, of course not. I want him out of the way.” McGonagall rubbed her forehead in distress.

“We have to inform the minister and the parents. Tomorrow morning we'll send the students home.” She ordered. “I need to talk to Mr and Mrs Weasley.”

When the professors moved away to fulfill their given tasks, Elsa moved to reveal herself, but Harry held her back until they were gone.

“Harry, what the-”

However, Harry was busy trying to calm Ron down. The redhead was torn between looking apathetic and angry, in a daze.

“Ginny...” He whimpered.

Elsa knelt down to his eye level when Harry made him sit. He looked ready to faint.

“Hey, it's okay.” Harry tried.

“H-How?! How is it okay?! The basilisk's stare is deadly, and I doubt she has a mirror or a camera to save her... she... she could be already dead... and all because of that dimwit!”

Elsa pressed her lips tightly together. “This is not the time to be pessimistic. She's a pureblood, why would the Heir kill her? Why bother kidnapping her first?”

Harry nodded. “Look, Lockhart apparently figured it out already. We tell him what we know and maybe we can help him retrieve Ginny.”

Elsa doubted that Lockhart of all people would be any help.

“Er, I'd rather ask McGonagall for help, Harry.”

“She has a bunch of things to take care of, you heard her. And Lockhart is our DADA teacher, after all.”

She gave him a look, but before she could open her mouth Ron spoke up.

“It's his fault she's been kidnapped, so he has to help get her back.” He glared ahead as he got to his feet again.

Letting out an annoyed sigh, Elsa straightened too. The thought of facing the basilisk again was twisting her insides. And while Lockhart seemed to pose as a powerful wizard, Elsa couldn't believe the tales were true.

Anyways, Harry and Ron were set on going to him for help. Those two trouble magnets couldn't be left alone.

“Professor Lockhart, we have some information about-... What are you doing?”

The teacher looked all ready to leave. Most of his belongings were stashed in several trunks, he was just pushing more inside a travel bag.

“This was _not_ in the job description. Definitely not.” He paused in his rant when he noticed it was them. “What do you want?”

“You're supposed to save my little sister!” Ron yelled angrily.

“I have no idea how!”

“There are plenty of books about your achievements!”

“Do you really think I could do all those things and still look like this?!”

Elsa frowned. So he really was an impostor.

“What about Ginny?! It's your fault Penelope got petrified, and also that Ginny was kidnapped! You're going to rescue her!”

Lockhart reached for his wand laying on the desk, but the students were anticipating the move and held him back with their own wands.

“Now, you don't want to hurt your professor. You sneaked out and now you threaten me, Professor McGonagall won't like this.”

Elsa's eyes narrowed at him. “We came to you asking for help and found you on the run. Very suspicious behavior, to just vanish after a kidnapping.”

A drop of sweat built slowly on Lockhart's temple. “Nobody would believe three teenagers over me.”

“Fine, then we go to McGonagall now and take the risk.”

Lockhart clenched his fists. “What do you want?”

Ron stabbed the adult's cheek with his spellotaped wand. “You are going to help us save Ginny.”

“I don't even know where she is!”

“Don't you worry, we know where the entrance to the chamber of secrets is.”

Harry led the way with Elsa and Ron staying behind Lockhart, keeping him in check.

“Oooh, you brought a visitor.” Myrtle called out, levitating above her stall. “He looks good.”

“How do we open it?” Harry asked, touching the faucet carefully.

Ron shrugged one shoulder, taking a step closer. “It's a snake. Try saying something in parsel.”

Harry made the strange hissing sounds again, and indeed the sinks moved apart to reveal a hole in the ground.

Elsa came to stand next to Harry, eyeing the hole warily.

“This doesn't look very safe.”

“Wait- HEY!” Ron's yell was drawing their attention to him and Lockhart. The latter had grabbed the broken wand.

“And now, wands down.” Elsa and Harry exchanged a glance, lowering their wands.

“Are you planning on hurting three innocent teenagers now? I'm sure that would look great.”

Lockhart gave a hysterical laugh. “I'm no idiot... I might haven't achieved everything in the books, but there's one spell I excel at.”

He looked at each of them.

“Obliviate!”

The light green light didn't reach the tip of the wand, but shot back at himself instead.

He crashed into one of the stalls and came to sit on the floor, looking around with wonder.

“My... what a dark and depressing place... where am I?” He faced the teenagers in front of him and grinned dumbly. “Hello! Can you tell me who I am?”

“... Did he just erase his own memory?”

“Looks like it.” Harry answered. “He's not gonna be of any help like that.”

“He wouldn't have been of any help either way.” Elsa sighed. “We should really get-”

“Damnit, we don't have time to find another professor! We have to find Ginny!”

Biting her lip, Elsa glanced at the hole. She really didn't want to see the basilisk again. But Ron was right, they had to save Ginny, if she was still alive.

She had no idea why she was so scared. If it came to it, she could just freeze it.

“Alright, stand back. _Finestra_!” She crashed one of the mirrors, still partly hoping some capable professor would hear the noise and come investigate.

She picked up two of the larger shards and handed one to an astounded Ron.

“Here. We take these to watch our backs, just in case. You can't use your wand, so you stay close to Harry.”

“See, and that's why we need you around.” Ron shook his head, carefully taking the shard.

“What about him?” Harry nodded towards Lockhart, who was trying to poke an annoyed looking Myrtle with wonder in his eyes.

“ _Petrificus Totalus_!”

The adult stiffened and fell to the side, giving a muffled squeak as he did so.

Both Harry and Ron stared wide-eyed at their blonde friend, making mental notes to never piss her off.

“Hurry, get him in one of the stalls.” She ordered, ignoring their looks and turning to the ghost.

“Myrtle, what we're doing is pretty dangerous. If we're not back in an hour I need you to get help.”

“You need _my_ help?”

“You're a capable ghost, we trust you with our lives here.”

The dead girl squealed into her hands before saluting. “You can count on me!”

“I know we can.” Elsa gave her a smile while her insides were knotting up.

A few moments later the three students were standing at the edge of the hole.

“We'll have to jump.” Harry concluded.

“We've got no idea how deep this is, we could break our bones...”

“What other choice do we have?”

Harry used Lumos to see further into the blackness. “... There's a slope... I think this is more of a slide.”

He gripped his wand tight. “I'm going first. If you can't hear me anymore get help.”

With that, he jumped into the darkness. There was scraping as he slid through the tunnel feet first. Then there was a thump when he landed, some rustling.

“Are you okay?” Elsa yelled.

“Yeah, it's a soft landing.”

Making sure her wand was safely stashed away in her sleeve, Elsa closed her eyes and followed Harry, squeaking when she flew from the opening right against her friend, who barely managed to stay upright.

Wincing at the grime sticking to her robes now, Elsa took in their surroundings. It was dark, safe for the _Lumos_ Harry had cast again.

She took her own wand out, lighting to the ground to see what they were standing on.

There were lots of bones, which wasn't in the least calming.

When Ron had joined them, the three of them followed the only way possible, using the mirror shards, just in case.

“If you see anything move, close your eyes.” Harry whispered as he climbed over a bunch of rocks.

“We're practically defenseless when we're blind...” Ron mumbled.

Elsa had to bite her tongue to not say I told you so. They just didn't think things through!

When she had climbed the rocks, she lit the way for Ron. Unfortunately he slipped halfway up because one of the rocks rolled away, resulting him in crashing down.

“Ron!”

“Bloody hell! I-I'm fine... I think.” He tried to stand up, but hissed and slid down again. “Or not. My ankle's twisted.”

Elsa made to climb back down to him, but Ron held up his hands.

“No, it's okay, go and help Ginny. We wasted enough time.”

“We can't just leave you here completely defenseless!”

“I'm not going anywhere, I'll be fine. Please, you need to save Ginny.”

The blonde hesitated, but then nodded and came to stand next to Harry on the other side of the rocks.

“Keep your eyes closed, and don't make a sound.” Elsa advised before following Harry further into the tunnel.

They passed the shed skin of the basilisk, the sheer size intimidating them. They still had no idea how to actually defend themselves of it, let alone kill it, but there was no time to waste.

At a circular door with snakes embedded in it they came to a stop. Harry hissed in parsel again, making it swing open.

It led to a huge hall, greenish lights surrounding them and casting bizarre shadows on the stony walls.

On the other end of it was Ginny, laying in a puddle on the cold ground.

The two ran towards her, hearts pounding in fear of her possible death as they skidded to their knees by her side.

“She's still breathing...” Elsa sighed in relief, placing the younger girl's head in her lap so it was out of the puddle.

“But she's ice cold...” Harry patted her cheek. “Ginny, wake up!”

"She won't wake…" They jumped at a foreign voice speaking up behind them.

A pale boy with dark hair was calmly approaching them. He was a Slytherin, according to his robes, a few years older than them.

While Elsa was puzzled to who this boy was, Harry gasped.

"Tom… Tom Riddle! What do you mean? She won't wake? She's not-"

"She's still alive. But only just…" A few steps next to them he came to a stop.

Elsa frowned. Tom Riddle? The owner of the diary? He appeared very young for being over fifty years old.

"Are you a ghost?" She asked carefully. Why was he down here?

He appeared amused as he told them he was a memory, caught in the diary, which was laying next to Ginny on the wet ground.

The blonde watched him warily as he bent to pick up the wand Harry had dropped when he had knelt by Ginny's side.

"Tom, you have to help us! It's dangerous down here, there's a basilisk!"

"It won't come unless it's called…" The pale boy said as he lazily played with the wand.

Harry realized the strange behavior then. He stood up and held his hand out.

"Give me my wand, Tom." He demanded.

"You won't be needing it…"

"Listen, we have to go, we have to save her!"

Tom's evil smirk was a bad sign, Elsa feared.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Harry… Every second she gets weaker… and I get stronger."

Harry frowned in confusion while Elsa glared when realization hit her. Of course he wouldn't help them, he was behind all of this!

He told them everything. How Ginny had opened the chamber of secrets, how she wrote the threats on the wall and helped the basilisk with the muggleborn victims.

"Why? Why would she do that?" Harry asked, not believing him.

"Because I told her to."

“Ginny would never do such things voluntarily.” Elsa said.

Tom explained that she didn't know what she was doing; she was in a trance all the time. When she was aware that the book was evil, she tried to get rid of it in Myrtle's bathroom, and then Harry found it.

"You… the very person I was most anxious to meet."

Harry slowly took a few steps back, leading Tom away from Ginny and Elsa.

Tom kept on revealing how he gained Harry's trust by showing him how he had caught Hagrid fifty years ago.

It was good to keep him talking, to gain more time to figure things out.

Elsa tried to think of anything that could help them, but nothing came to her mind. She had no idea if any spell could make him go away for good, and if he was a mere memory, she couldn't even freeze him.

She thought about trying to get Ginny out of the danger zone with _Wingardium Leviosa_ , but he would for sure notice and stop them.

If he was really the culprit behind the petrifications, if he was able to control the basilisk, they'd be in big trouble.

The mirror shards wouldn't do any good against the giant snake either.

Her eyes fell to the soaked black book by Ginny's side. If the memory of Tom Riddle was in this book, it could be the key to saving them from him.

Unfortunately she couldn't try anything, because the Slytherin was facing her again, using Harry's wand to write fiery letters on the stone wall.

_Tom Marvolo Riddle_. With a flick of the wand the letters rearranged to spell out _I am Lord Voldemort_.

Elsa covered her mouth in disbelief. This was Voldemort? The most dangerous wizard in the world?

Or, at least the memory of him. That didn't make him any less dangerous in the princess' eyes.

Suddenly Tom flung Harry's wand far away and called the basilisk in Parseltongue.

Elsa gripped Ginny's shoulders tightly and closed her eyes, scared to see it. However, the snake was only after Harry and chased him through the hall.

Tom watched them with a twisted grin that only lessened when a bright red and orange bird flew in and scratched out the basilisk's eyes.

Elsa heard the screech, and Voldemort's warning that while the basilisk may be blinded, he could still hear Harry.

Reassured that the danger of immediate death was gone, the blonde dared to open her eyes just in time to see Harry vanish in a pipe, the snake following him.

Her heart was pounding as she stood up, trying to figure out how to help him.

Voldemort turned around and smirked at her. "Now to you…"

She looked up at him with wide eyes. He was no real person; he couldn't use magic and hurt her… could he?

Glaring, Elsa clenched her fists. There were a few spells dancing through her head, but none of them could help Harry at the moment.

"I thought Harry Potter would come alone, I didn't know he would endanger his girlfriend…"

"I'm not his girlfriend. We're just friends… And I won't let you hurt my friends."

He grinned evilly. "Aw, isn't that cute? What can a little girl like you do? Use your baby spells to defeat me? I'm not real, remember? Nothing can hurt me…"

Running footsteps were alerting them of Harry's arrival, still chased by the blinded basilisk.

Elsa hadn't noticed where he got a sword from, but further away she saw the sorting hat laying in another puddle, a phoenix close to it.

Tom turned back to look at her with an amused expression.

"There's nothing you can do, girl. You can't defeat me, you can't help Harry Potter, you can't save Ginny… And as soon as the basilisk is done with Potter, it's your turn to die…"

Elsa was getting really angry, feeling her whole body tingle. He was right, she couldn't defeat him or the basilisk with any spells, but she sure could help Harry.

She located him climbing a wall, trying to get on a higher ground to reach the serpent's head.

An idea made her light up.

The amused smirk on Tom's expression vanished immediately when he noticed ice slowly spreading from Elsa's feet.

"What the…?"

Elsa kept her attention on Harry, who was having trouble evading the basilisk's poisonous teeth.

Timing it right, she crashed her foot down, covering the whole floor with ice.

The snake, in the middle of attacking, was flailing on the slippery surface, head crashing into the wall instead of Harry.

Using the chance of a groggy basilisk, Harry slammed the sword upwards in its mouth, impaling the soft skin there.

It gave a horrible screech, flailing some more before crashing down on the ice, dead.

"What are you?!" Tom was furious as he screamed at Elsa.

She ignored him and slid easily over the ice to Harry, assisting him so he wouldn't slip too.

When they passed the basilisk's head, Harry stopped to rip one of its fangs out.

“This is impossible, you are not normal!” Voldemort kept on screaming, unable to do anything to stop them.

“What do you want with it?” Elsa asked Harry over the memory's shouts.

“The diary...” Harry was still out of breath from his fight.

Completely blocking out Tom Riddle's voice, they knelt by Ginny and the book again. When the Slytherin realized what their plan was, he tried to lunge at them, but it was too late.

Harry stabbed the fang into the diary, a bright light emerging from it. When it vanished, Tom was gone.

Ginny stirred, opening her eyes. With a violent shudder she sat up. There was a lot of apologizing, but of course she was not to blame at all.

“Did you secretly practice ice charms or what?” Harry joked tiredly as the three made to leave the dark hall.

Elsa blinked. Of course. He was too busy with the basilisk to notice her magic.

“You got me there.” She smiled innocently. “Where did you get the sword from, by the way?”

“Oh right, the sword. Can you get it? It's Godric Gryffindor's...”

The blonde located it near the basilisk's head and gracefully glided over the ice to pick it up. Now that it was dead it didn't seem so scary anymore, she thought.

Harry took it from her, also having picked up the sorting hat. “Dumbledore said it would come to aide every Gryffindor who'd need it...”

Elsa shook her head in disbelief, looking back at the hall behind them. “I can't believe we survived this...”

**xxx**

“I can't believed you survived this!”

Elsa and Harry were sitting McGonagall's office again, a not-so-sweet reminder of the previous year for the princess.

Ron, the lucky one, was in the hospital wing, having his ankle healed by Madam Pomfrey while his family tended to him and a still weakened Ginny.

Professor Lockhart had been sent to St. Mungo's hospital to try and treat his sudden amnesia, but they weren't really optimistic about it.

The Deputy Headmistress was as white as a sheet, her dark eyes wide after they had ended their report of what happened.

Flitwick was shaking his head repeatedly, torn between being amazed and scolding.

In the middle of them at the desk sat Dumbledore himself, having his job back now that the chamber was found and the monster destroyed.

He smiled in an amused way at how McGonagall fussed.

“That was incredibly irresponsible of you! You could've died! Again!”

“But we didn't.” Harry protested, only to shrink at the female professor's sharp glare.

Dumbledore gave a small chuckle. “Minerva, I think they've been through enough the last hours.”

While Elsa was kind of glad Dumbledore was not scolding them, she was also a little bit exasperated. McGonagall had all right to react the way she did. What they did was dangerous, not to mention stupid. Why would the headmaster encourage such behavior?

“Now, I'd like to have a few words with Harry. I believe you need to send an owl to Azkaban, am I right?”

McGonagall gave a sigh, but nodded. “Of course.”

Flitwick took the sword and the hat to store it in Dumbledore's office, while Elsa just wanted to get washed up, in some fresh clothes, and sleep forever.

The night has been a drag.

Elsa hadn't even rounded the corner yet when she was almost ran over by Draco, who had her in a bone-crushing hug.

“I just heard it. Are you alright?” He let go of her, wiping some dust of her cheek.

“Sure, never been better.”

“Good.” He grabbed her shoulders. “Have you lost your freaking mind?! Do you _want_ to give me a heart attack?!”

Elsa couldn't help it. She just had to laugh. Draco was just too cute when he was worried.

The Slytherin tried to stay stern, but couldn't help the way the corners of his mouth tugged up at the sound of her laughter.

She only quieted down when Lucius Malfoy approached, an undefinable expression on his face.

“Good to see you're uninjured.” Was his curt greeting. “So is it true? The chamber of secrets is sealed?”

“Yes, sir.”

“That's good news, I guess... I wonder what old Dumbledore has to say to that...”

Elsa pursed her lips. Didn't he know that the headmaster is back?

“I guess you can ask him yourself, he's in Professor McGonagall's office.”

The gray eyes widened a fraction, face growing hard. Without another word, the older Malfoy left them standing, swiftly moving towards the office.

Shrugging at that behavior, Elsa started moving again, Draco walking next to her.

“Now what happened?”

**xxx**

Dumbledore's return was a blast for everyone. He had announced that the final exams were canceled, since the students had been too distracted with the chamber and everything anyways.

The mandrake's restoration draught was finished eventually, reviving all the petrified students.

Hagrid was back at school.

Everything was perfect.

At the end-of-term feast, Dumbledore's speech was giving them all light hearts.

“... wouldn't have been possible without a few very brave students.” His eyes twinkled.

“Ron Weasley, who fearlessly went to rescue his little sister from a deadly creature, take 100 housepoints.” There was clapping, mostly from the Gryffindor's of course.

A glance at the Slytherin table almost made Elsa laugh again. Draco's face was priceless.

They had won the Quidditch cup, and according to the hourglasses in the Great Hall they were leading with the housepoints too.

And just like the year before, Dumbledore was giving out points to the Gryffindors, risking them losing to them again.

But Elsa figured it wasn't something to worry about. She hadn't been keeping track of the housepoints, but according to Anthony Gryffindor was too far behind to get past them _and_ Slytherin.

“Killing a basilisk is a nearly impossible task to any wizard or witch, especially a mere teenager. But Harry Potter achieved it in a show of real bravery, and saved a young girl's live. 200 housepoints to Gryffindor.”

There was thunderous cheering and unbelieving stares.

“What the... that's 300 for Gryffindor, they narrowly passed us.” Becky thunked her head on the table.

“Why not give Granger another hundred for getting petrified? Then the Slytherins will be beaten at least.” She groaned sarcastically into the tabletop.

Elsa chuckled. She didn't really care at all for this rivalry. She was just glad the danger was over and they were all safe and sound.

“And last but not least, Elsa Winters, who did not only save a fellow classmate from being killed by the basilisk's deadly stare with excellent use of an advanced and complicated ice charm,”

The blonde's shoulders hunched, face heating up a little at the stares she received.

“But also helped a great deal in killing said basilisk with another very powerful ice charm, saving Mr Potter's life and giving him the opening to achieve it...”

To her, it hadn't been that big a deal. She fiddled with her sleeves, trying to not shrink away from the stares. She was a soon-to-be-queen, she helped killing a basilisk, she was strong!

“... 250 points to Ravenclaw.”

Becky's screech was even louder than the cheers and clapping from the Ravenclaw table. “We won! We won!”

Dumbledore gave an amused chuckle. “Miss Clearwater's right, if I counted correctly.”

With a flick of his hand, the banners changed colors from green and silver to blue and bronze.

Elsa felt herself be squashed between her housemates, enduring it with only a little discomfort. It was incredible how she got used to a crowd within two years of being here.

She laughed as she shoved Becky off, who went to glomp her sister instead. Penelope was ruffling her hair, also laughing.

Elsa caught Draco's gaze, who was grinning despite having lost. She couldn't help but laugh again. All the danger has been worth it, after all.

* * *


	11. Chapter 11

* * *

It had been a hassle finding a way to get home to Arendelle.

Flooing wasn't an option with Marshmallow and all her things. Since the kingdom was only reachable by ship, that would've been a possibility. However, it was too late to contact her parents, it would've taken the ship about two days to get there.

So she had asked Professor Flitwick, who had agreed to apparate her and her luggage this one time.

“Oh, that's quite ways off!” The professor adjusted his glasses, facing the castle in the distance.

They were rather close to the forest, about a thousand meters from the first houses.

“That shouldn't have happened.”

“It's fine.” Elsa adjusted her bags. “I can manage the rest.”

Flitwick experimentally took a step towards the castle, but found he couldn't get any closer. His hand met resistance, like rubber.

“Most curious.” He mumbled, using his wand to reveal the invisible wall. None of whatever spells he used worked.

Frowning, Elsa walked a few steps, having no difficulty at all. “There's nothing holding _me_ back.”

Flitwick still couldn't, however. “I don't understand... this isn't normal magic.”

He scratched his head, puzzled.

The princess couldn't wait to get back home and finally see Anna again.

“There are magic trolls up in the mountains, I guess they did something to keep foreigners out. Thank you for taking me here, I'll see you in September.”

Elsa smiled before hurrying off towards the castle, leaving the professor to keep examining the invisible wall.

She felt good, being back here. Summer here was way cooler than in Great Britain.

“Hey, you're the princess!”

Elsa looked up at the voice coming from the direction of the forest. The boy from the trolls, Kristoff, was on his way to the village with his reindeer and his sleigh.

“Oh, yes. Nice to see you again.”

“Are you done with school? You're staying now?” Kristoff asked, falling into step next to her.

“For the summer. I will leave in September again.”

The boy had grown quite a bit in two years, already a little taller than her. The reindeer was also larger.

“Here, let me help you!”

Kristoff took her heavy trunk and put it on the sleigh on top of a big block of ice and grabbed her other bag, so Elsa only had to carry Marshmallow's transport box.

“Thank you. How is your family doing?”

They chatted for a while until they reached the giant gate to the castle.

The guards on either side of the gate came up to take her luggage when they recognized her.

“Welcome home, Princess Elsa.”

“Do this boy and his reindeer accompany you, your highness?”

Elsa could barely stop herself from rolling her eyes. This wasn't Hogwarts, this was her home, her castle, her guards. They were _supposed_ to address her like that.

It felt weird. She needed a moment to get herself back in princess mode.

She glanced at Kristoff and Sven, who both blinked at the guards with wide eyes. Why not? Anna loved meeting new people.

“Yes, Kristoff and his reindeer are my guests.”

The boy was quite surprised, but hurried to follow along when Elsa and the guards walked past the gate.

Before they even reached the castle, the wooden gate opened to reveal Anna. Elsa barely managed to put Marshmallow aside before she was hit by her little sister's hug.

“You're back! I missed you so much!”

The older princess laughed and returned the hug, noting how much Anna had grown in the past two years.

“I missed you too, little sister.”

"Oh! You brought a friend?"

Before she could answer, Anna was already strolling over to the blond and observed him closely.

“This is Kristoff and his reindeer Sven.” Kristoff blushed under her gaze.

Anna grinned and simply hugged him too, making him squirm. "I like them."

Elsa chuckled into the back of her hand when Sven squeezed into their hug, licking Anna's face.

"Elsa?" At hearing her father's voice, the blonde steeled herself before turning around to face him.

Both the king and queen approached her, appearing a little hesitate.

“Hello father, mother.” Elsa greeted them after a moment.

Queen Iduna grabbed her in a tight hug then, kissing her forehead and wiping the bangs from her face.

“Don't you ever run away again. You had us worried sick.” There were tears in the woman's eyes, but she couldn't suppress a smile at seeing her oldest daughter completely fine.

Relief flooding every inch of Elsa, she returned her mother's hug.

“I'm sorry, mother. I was just scared you wouldn't understand...”

The king put a hand on her shoulder, a tight smile on his face. He shortly eyed Anna, who was cuddling Marshmallow, and Kristoff.

“Anna, why don't you show our guest around. We have to talk to Elsa.”

The young girl nodded eagerly, grabbing Kristoff's hand and pulling him along.

Elsa refrained from biting her lip, trying to keep an emotionless expression on. At least they were happy to see her.

They settled down in their sitting room, Gerda already bringing tea for them. The elder maid was smiling widely at seeing the crown princess back at home.

After she had left, there were a few moments of silence. Elsa did her best to hold their gazes without giving anything away.

“You've grown so much.” Iduna started with a shaky smile.

Elsa shrugged. “It's been two years. A lot of things change...”

Agnarr sighed. “What did you do to your dress? It's not appropriate for a princess to run around like that...”

“I had to hide my royal status to prevent any... casualties.” Elsa forced herself to relax.

“To blend in, I had to shorten some of them.”

“Anna showed us your letters. You seem really... happy there.”

The teenager didn't know what to make of that comment. “Yes. It's nice to be around other people with magic.”

Iduna noted the tension between the other two and sat a little straighter.

“Well, we're glad that you're back.”

“About that... it's only for the summer. At the end of August I will leave again.”

“You just arrived!”

“There's five more years of school, I can't just drop out after two.”

“Watch your tone, young lady.”

This time Elsa did bite her lip. It was really hard to fall back into the technicalities of a royal family after those two years around a bunch of teenagers.

“Why did you come back?”

“Agnarr!”

Elsa clenched her hands to fists. There it was again, the rage she had felt was back. If her mother hadn't looked so devastated she would've really thought they didn't want her here.

“Why did you leave in first place?”

“With all due respect, you can't lock me in my room and be surprised when I take the chance for freedom.”

“Do I have to remind you of the incident with Anna?”

“That was an _accident_ , years ago. Anna's fine now, and I learned to fully control my ice powers, also ages ago. You excluded me from everything for no _real_ reason.”

The king rubbed his temples. “Don't you know that this is not normal? Boarding schools for wizards and witches, magic being real, ice powers... back in the day they would've burnt you for witchcraft!”

Elsa hunched up her shoulders, but frowned stubbornly. “That was centuries ago, and you're the king. You wouldn't have let them kill me.”

“Do you have any idea how much trouble our family would be in if it was found out that there was a witch with ice powers reigning? Things like these spread!”

“I never said I would just display my powers in public! All I wanted was to roam freely and play with Anna, and not wilt away in my bedroom.”

Iduna stood up and put her hand on her husband's arm. “Agnarr, we knew from the beginning that this could happen. Let's just be glad that she came back.”

The king sighed deeply. He walked over to the open window, looking at the sky. He was quiet for a while.

“I guess you're right. However, with how rebellious our daughter has become in the matter of two years, we can't be sure she is really fit to take over the throne when it comes to it.”

He turned back around.

“Or if she would even want to come back after school.”

Elsa now also stood up. “I never said anything about abandoning you or Arendelle. I just wanted to meet new people and learn to control my witchcraft.”

“So you spend years away from your kingdom to study magic, come back and be the crown princess again? After forgetting everything it takes to be a royal?”

“No one said I'd forget anything.”

“There's still so much you'd need to learn, about the shipping business, export contracts and so on, on top of keeping up the correct etiquette...”

“I can take the books with me, learn it in my free time there, along with my school work.”

It would be quite a feat. She had three more elective classes the upcoming year, after all.

But if that was what it took to convince the king to not force Anna into queen training again, she'd do it.

The king and queen exchanged a strange look that Elsa couldn't place.

“Still. What if you decide to take a magical job when you're done? Then it would be too late to train Anna.”

“You have my word that I will come back.”

“Would you sign a contract?”

Elsa blinked. A contract? Because of something like this?

“Then we could be sure you're coming back to fulfill your royal duties and you can still continue going to that school.”

The girl took a few moments to think about it. It was strange, asking her to sign a contract over this.

Even if she eventually _did_ decide to not come back for whatever reasons, there'd still be plenty of time for Anna to take over. Not to mention the royal advisers, who were briefed to keep the important business going for a few months at least.

However, that seemed to be the only way to spare Anna the hard work.

“Alright, I will sign that contract. I will come back once I'm done with school.”

After that conversation, things were going better.

The king announced that the contract would be done before she'd leave. That left the rest of the summer for fun.

Elsa and Anna spent a lot of time outside with Kristoff and Sven. The boy had been basically adopted by Gerda, she already treated him like a son.

First, Elsa had been worried about leaving Anna alone again, but with Kristoff around that worry was taken away.

The two were inseparable, understand each other on a level that was beyond Elsa. They were cute to watch.

“Your necklace is so nice!” Anna commented when they were sitting in the library one evening.

Elsa subconsciously touched it, smiling involuntarily.

“Thanks. It was a present from a friend.”

Anna's grin widened. “Oooh, a _friend_?” She wiggled her eyebrows, making Elsa blush.

“Yes, a friend.”

“I sure hope so.” Iduna's voice made the two girls look up. The queen's smile seemed a little sad actually.

“You should concentrate on school instead of boys.”

“I will, no need to worry.” Elsa waved her off. She and Draco were friends, nothing more.

“Good.” Something in Iduna's voice was off, but Elsa couldn't pinpoint the reason.

Shrugging at Anna's questioning gaze, she continued to scratch Marshmallow's chin.

“Oh, by the way, mother, I need some additional money to repay the trolls in the mountains. They helped me out.”

They'd have to get exchange at Gringotts, since it was muggle money, but that shouldn't be a big problem.

“Alright. How much will you need for the upcoming school year?”

“I'm not sure yet. I got three additional classes and need new robes too. I will take a look at my shopping list and tell you later.”

**xxx**

A few days later, Grand Pabbie handed the satchel with the money to another elder troll.

“There is something I wanted to ask you.” Elsa fiddled with the end of her braid, before stopping herself. She really needed to change her hairstyle, so it wouldn't distract her from studying.

She had insisted on going alone, safe for Kristoff and Sven, who had wanted to visit their family. They were currently off in the woods with a few younglings, playing.

“What is it?”

“When I got home at the beginning of summer, a professor from Hogwarts brought me here. But he couldn't get closer to Arendelle, because there was an invisible wall, according to him.”

Pabbie's gaze averted shortly. “Ah, yes.” He cleared his throat.

“That's the shield.”

Elsa waited for him to elaborate, which he didn't. “What shield?”

“It surrounds Arendelle, and there's also one around the forest on the other side of the mountains.”

“Did _you_ create it...?”

The troll shook his head. “No. This is a different kind of magic.”

Growing wary of the curt answers, Elsa frowned.

“There's something you don't want to tell me.”

“What! No, why would I keep a well-kept secret from you? After the explicit order from the king and queen to never tell you?”

“W-What have my parents to do with it?”

The old female troll patted Pabbie's shoulder. “We always knew this day would come. She has a right to know.”

“Know _what_?” Elsa asked, heart thumping harder at the sympathetic looks.

She knelt on the mossy ground when Pabbie sighed in defeat.

“What do you know about your parents?”

Elsa blinked. “Are you asking about their ancestors, or...?”

“Let me be specific, what do you know about the queen?”

“Father met her on a business trip, they fell in love and he took her with him to Arendelle.” She bit her lip. “Though they never told us where exactly she came from.”

“Queen Iduna comes from a special tribe. Their elders use a special kind of magic, that can only be achieved if one is completely united with nature. Different from the witches and wizards you know, that are born with their magic.”

“W-What?”

“This tribe is located in the other forest. I'm only telling you this for you to understand the the whole story. It is a dangerous secret, only the king and queen know about it.”

He glanced at Rocky in the distance.

Elsa nodded, determined to get behind this. Maybe this was how she got her ice powers?

“Somewhere in this forest is an enchanted fountain that is said to guarantee eternal life.”

Immediately the Philosopher's Stone came to Elsa's mind. Voldemort had wanted it for immortality.

“However, such power is dangerous. An eternal life is a cursed life. The fountain needs to be protected, so the old chiefs created a shield. When Iduna left the tribe with the crown prince of Arendelle, the shield was extended to the castle and the village, to protect her.”

Elsa bit her lip. “So mother knows where this enchanted fountain is?”

“Not anymore. The spring moves as it sees fit. However, since no normal humans, or muggles as you may call them, know about the pond or would go crazy in their search of it, the shield holds off those who hold magic, such as wizards and witches.”

“But why could I pass through it without trouble?” Elsa asked curiously.

“Because you belong to the royal family.”

The princess absentmindedly played with the tip of her braid again, deep in thought.

“So I understand that this is a big secret, but why did you act like that? I have a right to know _that_?”

Pabbie chuckled quietly, shaking his head.

“Perceptive one, aren't you?”

The female troll patted her knee, again with the sympathetic gaze. It didn't do anything to calm Elsa down.

“As well-kept the secret was, someone couldn't keep their mouth shut and lost the information by gambling. That was about 15 years ago.

The one gathering knowledge of it was King Ilian. He had married the queen of a kingdom about twice the size of Arendelle at a very young age and killed her after she had given birth to his son.”

Elsa paid rapt attention, trying to follow and make sense.

“Driven by the idea of immortality, he tried to find a way to get through the shield, without any success of course. No magic could. He also tried to send in his muggle servants, but they never came back. So he knew he needed to find it himself.

However, the only way to do so was to become part of the royal family.”

Starting to connect the dots, Elsa paled. She didn't like where this was going.

“He requested an audience at his own kingdom with Agnarr and Iduna. He used their lack of knowledge of his limited wizard magic, threatened them with war, forced them to sign a magical binding contract.”

“What does the contract say?” Elsa asked quietly, hands shaking.

“Since killing them would nullify the immunity of the royal family, he made an engagement contract. The king and queen had three years to produce a princess for his son, Prince Asparuh, to marry. If they didn't, he'd declare war.”

Elsa recoiled. “So there's a marriage arranged for me?!”

 _That_ was the reason they've been so adamant about her coming back and even had her sign a contract to ensure she would.

The gravity of the forced engagement aside, they still had Anna, so Elsa couldn't quite understand why they've been so set and insistent on _her_.

“That's not all, I fear.” Pabbie sighed. “You... You might have wondered where your ice powers come from.”

The blonde gasped. The trolls knew why she got ice powers? Why didn't they ever tell her, or her parents?

“It was 1981, Spring had just started, when a cloaked figure had come through here. We're a careful lot, so we didn't show ourselves. She left right after setting a bundle in our midst. She was using witchcraft.”

Time seemed to slow down, every heartbeat getting louder for Elsa.

“The bundle she left was a baby, about a year old, with silvery-blonde hair and blue eyes...”

Elsa shook her head in disbelief, hand covering her mouth. She couldn't find her voice.

“She left a letter, too, stating that she was on the run, that her child had powers of ice and snow on top of her witchcraft, and that her baby needed to be kept safe. It was addressing us directly, so she had somehow gained knowledge of us.”

The elder female sighed. “Of course we took you in, but the cold mountains weren't a place to raise a baby. About two weeks after you were given to us, the king and queen came, asking for help.”

“They hadn't been able to get pregnant, and their time was running out in 6 months. Even if we could've helped them produce an offspring, it would've been too late to meet King Ilian's deadline or to assure it was a girl.”

Elsa felt like suffocating. So the king and queen of Arendelle weren't even her real parents? They adopted her out of necessity, to ensure their kingdom's safety?

If they had gotten Anna a few years earlier, she wouldn't even be part of the family. She would've been raised by stone trolls.

She still couldn't speak, her breath still taken away. She had been abandoned by her real mother, adopted into a royal family and an arranged marriage was awaiting her when she turned 18. Not even five years in the future.

And... she only found out because she, herself, had asked _the trolls_.

If she hadn't been persistent, she would've never known. She'd have finished school, and right after she would've been married off to an evil wizard prince.

“I know this is a lot to take in right now, but you have to calm down, Elsa...”

The soothing voice of the elder troll snapped her out of it. She realized the ground beneath her had started to freeze.

However much she concentrated, she couldn't thaw it, as she was starting to shake with rage.

“H-How am I supposed to calm down after what you just told me?”

“The king and queen didn't want us to tell you, should you ever come and find us.”

“So you expect me to not confront them at all? After they practically destroyed my future?!”

The female troll sighed. “They took you in and raised you as their daughter. You belong to the family just as much as Anna does.”

Elsa shook her head. She needed to get herself together. “Isn't there a way to get out of such a contract?”

Pabbie shrugged. “We're trolls. We have no idea about the wizard world's direct laws.”

The female rummaged through a lot of moss and pulled out a dirty envelope.

“That's the letter the witch left...”

It was hours later when Elsa arrived back in Arendelle. She took a detour to the wharf, trying to control her rage as she asked for a ship to be ready by nightfall.

She stormed into the castle, straight to her room. She knew she needed to drive on her anger now before the sadness took over completely.

Her things were quickly packed, she just had to find Marshmallow now, and Anna, to say goodbye.

“What... I thought you weren't leaving before Tuesday?” Iduna's eyes were wide with surprise.

It took all of Elsa's willpower to not snap.

“I still have a lot of homework and need to buy a few magic things to complete it. I better get going now.” She said curtly.

“Now? Why don't you wait until tomorrow at least? You didn't even have dinner...”

“I need to leave _now_. It's an emergency.”

Iduna followed her as Elsa searched for Marshmallow, finding her with Anna in the ballroom.

“Would you please have my things be transported to the wharf? A ship is waiting for me.” She asked Kai, another loyal servant. He did a small bow and left.

“Are you leaving already?” Anna asked, lips in a pout.

“I have to, Anna. I... I'm meeting a few friends so we can do our homework together.”

Elsa glanced at the queen, who looked anxious. “Mother,” it was hard to not grimace at the fake word, “I need the money. Please.”

Iduna nodded, leaving to get the money from their royal stash.

“Listen, Anna, I probably won't come back so soon.” Definitely not for Christmas or Easter holidays, at least.

“Maybe next summer. But I will write to you, and of course you can always write to me, alright?”

“But why are you leaving so soon?”

“I can't explain it right now.” Elsa hugged her little sister. Not little sister. No, it didn't matter. It wasn't Anna's fault that her parents destroyed her own future.

“Take good care of Kristoff, will you?”

Anna wiped at her eyes, but giggled. “Yes. And you do the same for Marshmallow.”

“Of course.”

**xxx**

Elsa arrived in London two nights later.

The time on the ship alone with only three workers had given her the privacy to freak out.

She had screamed into her pillow, cried, froze the whole room, for example.

So by the time she stepped out of Gringotts after changing her muggle money for galleons and sickles, she was only exhausted. Lethargic even.

What was she supposed to do now? Ron and Hermione would only come here on the last day before they had to leave, she supposed Harry too.

However, Elsa hadn't really been thinking when she left. The only thing she's been sure of was that she needed to get away from there.

There was no way she could've kept up the facade of not knowing anything.

The Leaky Cauldron promised a fine sleeping place, so that's where she stayed. Elsa couldn't muster up the energy to do her homework or go shopping for school, so all she did for a few days was to lay on the squeaky bed and ponder over things.

It had been a shock, yes. But at the same time it made sense.

Why the king was so scared of magic. Why she looked different from them. Where she got her ice powers from.

She unfolded the letter for the umpteenth time, miserably tracing the neat fading handwriting.

_ Trolls, _

_ Please take care of my little daughter. I can't look out for her anymore, she's in great danger. You have to find a place for her where no one can hurt her. She is partly witch, but also has control over ice and snow. I beg you, take good care of my little Elisa. _

_ Thank you so much… _

_Isabelle_

Elisa. Isabelle. The names from her strange dream last year.

The king and queen of Arendelle must've changed her name to make it sound more nordic.

If the Spirit of Winter was really her father, it explained how she got her ice powers.

But Isabelle was supposed to be dead. _She_ was supposed to be dead. Why did Winter think they died? Couldn't he see earth and all the people? Wouldn't he notice someone with ice powers?

And what happened to Isabelle? Her real mother...

There were so many questions with no way to answer them. That was frustrating her to a whole new level.

Or it would, if she could feel anything but numbness at the moment.

When she heard scratching by her door, she got up and put away the letter before opening the door to let Marshmallow in.

“Hey! I _thought_ it was Marshmallow!” Harry exclaimed, grinning as he walked up to Elsa.

The blonde actually smiled, happy to see her friend again.

“What are you doing here already?”

“Oh, I've kinda accidentally blown up my aunt and fled... but it's alright, I'm not in trouble.” He added the last part at the widening of Elsa's eyes.

She shook her head. “You're incorrigible.”

“Have you already gotten your stuff for school? We could go together.” He frowned when she yawned.

“You look like you haven't slept at all...”

Elsa shrugged one shoulder. “Not really.” She admitted.

“I suppose things at home aren't going well?”

“Not really.” She repeated. “But I can't talk about it right now. I haven't really adjusted myself yet, so... well. A distraction would be good.”

She could tell Harry was concerned, but she wouldn't let it fester inside him. No need to worry anyone.

They walked along the cobblestone street. Elsa had her list in hand, sighing. “How am I supposed to transport all of these books?”

“Oh, especially the monster book.” Harry tapped it on the list. “It's vicious.”

“I'll definitely need a bigger bag, let's get that first.”

Elsa found a magical bag that was looking normal on the outside, but could hold many things without getting heavier. The sign said it could hold up to a hundred books, so she felt this was the right choice for her.

All the books she brought from home to learn all about shipping agreements, royal technicalities, more about behavior of a queen and so on were already taking up quite a lot space.

She planned on buying everything she could find about magical law to maybe come to a solution for the binding contract, also known as forced engagement.

To top it off she needed many new books for school.

Ancient Runes alone required three books, Arithmancy was also a rather theoretical class. She'd need so much more parchment and quills.

At least Care of Magical Creatures wouldn't be too demanding.

“What do we need the law books for?” Harry asked when he saw the bunch Elsa was carrying, eyes wide.

“ _We_ don't need them at all. I just wanna read up on a few things.” She was grateful for the help in carrying. Who knew there were so many books about the magical law?

“Anything specific? I mean, maybe there are a few at Hogwarts' library.”

“I don't remember seeing a law section there.” Elsa smiled slightly, evading the question. “I'd rather be on the safe side.”

They paid for their books and went to buy the rest of the things they'd need for school.

“Now how did you blow up your aunt?”

“She was insulting my parents. It just happened.” He shrugged. “I thought I'd get expelled for sure, but the minister was totally chill.”

“Not that I'm not happy about it, but I can't believe you got away with that.” Elsa shook her head with a yawn.

“He did seem pretty strange. Something's definitely up, but he wouldn't tell me what of course.”

“Let's just be glad that you aren't in trouble. I'd be grateful for a quiet year for once.”

**xxx**

The train was already pretty full when they entered on 1 September.

Ginny had easily found a place by Luna and Neville, while the four third-years moved all the way to the back in search of an empty compartment.

Harry said he had to tell them something in private.

They passed a few filled with Slytherins, and Elsa gave a small exhausted smile at seeing Draco discussing something with Pansy.

His usual slicked back hair was falling into his forehead, giving him a softer look.

She quickly followed her friends when they were able to move on through the crowd.

Finally, at the very end of the train, they found an almost empty place.

There was a man sleeping by the window, covered up by a tattered cloak.

“Who's that? I thought the train was only for students...” Ron asked as he sat across from the adult.

“Professor R. J. Lupin.” Was Hermione's quick answer while she got comfortable next to Ron, placing Crookshanks beside her.

“How do you know that?!” Ron shrieked, barely above a whisper to not disturb the sleeping man.

Elsa gave him a look and pointed at the case above Lupin's head, where a slightly tinted golden plate was stating its owner's name.

She smiled slightly at his embarrassed expression and put Marshmallow down next to Crookshanks, the two of them sniffing at each other before settling down together.

She sat down between Harry and Lupin, fighting a yawn.

“Do you think he's really sleeping?”

“I guess so. Why?”

Harry made sure the door was closed. “You've heard about the guy that escaped Azkaban, Sirius Black, right?”

“It was even on the muggle news.” Hermione confirmed.

“Ron's dad told me that he was a loyal servant to Voldemort... and the minister's worried that he'd come after me.”

That would explain Fudge's weird behavior concerning Harry's aunt, Elsa thought.

"Just because it's _rumored_ that he's after you, doesn't mean he will. Especially when you're in Hogwarts." Ron shrugged.

  
Elsa rubbed her temples. "If we look back to the last two years, chances are high he will try anyways."

Couldn't they have _one quiet year_ for once? She already had enough on her plate without a mass murderer going after her friend.

  
"Even if he tries, Hogwarts is too well protected." Hermione was sure. “They're searching everywhere for him, he'd better find a good hiding spot instead of chasing a teenager.”

“He managed to break out of the most secured wizard prison, I don't think he has too much trouble evading the aurors...” Ron mused.

  
Elsa yawned into her hand and leaned back in her seat, tuning out the conversation.

This was tiring, and the year had barely started yet. She briefly thought about starting one of the law books, but the thought was barely finished when her eyes fell shut.

  
She was jerked awake by the train coming to a halt some time later. The lights went out.

  
"Are we there yet?" Elsa asked, rubbing her eyes.

  
"No, it's way too early." Hermione eyed the dark, rainy sky with a worried frown on her face.

  
Elsa blinked at seeing her own breath. Her friends were shivering.

When the bottle of water by the professor's side started to freeze, she flinched. Was it her powers going crazy? But no, she couldn't thaw it...

  
There was another jerk, a weird sound.

  
"Someone entered the train..." Ron breathed.

  
The heavily clouded sky barely brought any light, so the movement as the door to their compartment slid open was even creepier.

  
Elsa's eyes widened at the creature staring at them. It was large and clad in a black frayed cloak that covered its face too.

  
She gasped and leaned back away from it when the creature faced her and came uncomfortably close. There was a sort of tugging sensation, but it faded when the figure let go of her to concentrate on Harry instead.

  
The Gryffindor was in a haze, immobile and completely out of it.

  
Elsa had no idea what to do, _what_ was this thing?! She didn't know if she could freeze it.

  
Suddenly a bright white light emerged from the awoken professor's wand, fending off the figure at once and shutting the door behind it.

  
Scrambling when she saw Harry falling sideways, Elsa tried to keep him from hitting the floor.

  
Professor Lupin helped her lay him on the seat, calming them.  
"He'll be fine, just passed out." He said in a soothing voice. "Are you three alright?"

  
Hermione and Ron still looked a little pale and shaky, but nodded. The brunette rubbed her arms for warmth as more shadowy figures levitated past them, this time only glancing through the windows of the compartment doors.

  
As sudden as they had appeared they left. The lights came back on and the train started moving again as if nothing had happened.

  
Elsa gulped, trying to calm her racing heart. While her friends seemed too cold, she herself felt entirely too warm after this encounter.

  
What had this - whatever it was - done to her friend? Why was Harry unconscious? Why wasn't _she_?

  
She was pulled out of her thoughts by a piece of chocolate held out to her.

  
Lupin was smiling sympathetically. "Eat, you'll feel better."

  
Hermione and Ron were already nibbling on their pieces, so Elsa took it with shaking fingers.

  
"Are you okay?"

  
"Y-Yes, the thing just scared me."

  
"I felt like I'd never be happy again..." Ron murmured around a bite of chocolate. Hermione nodded in agreement, still a little too overwhelmed to speak.

  
Elsa bit her lip, staring down at the chocolate in her hand. She hadn't felt any different, even when the monstrosity had been directly in her face. Was this another side effect of her being half spirit?

  
For the first time in her life, Elsa didn't feel like eating chocolate. Her stomach knotted up at the reminder of what she had found out at home, and the current event only strengthened the insecurity she was feeling.

  
"Don't you like chocolate?"

  
At the question, Elsa took a bite, just to downplay her queasiness. She had been acting too off already, the last thing she needed was for her friends to start worrying about her.

  
Her problems weren't theirs, she needed to figure out a solution on her own. It was too dangerous to have someone else know about her true heritage.

  
**xxx**

  
Professor McGonagall was already awaiting them at the castle's entrance, demanding to speak to Elsa, Harry and Hermione.

  
"We didn't even do anything wrong yet, did we?" Harry mumbled to the two girls as the three of them followed their teacher.

  
Madam Pomfrey was already in McGonagall's office, immediately fussing over Elsa and Harry.

  
"Professor Lupin sent an owl ahead and informed us about your encounter with the dementor, are you two feeling alright?"

  
"Of course I am." Elsa automatically said, glancing at Harry. It was him who had fainted, not her.

  
Noting the exchange, McGonagall spoke up again. "I'm asking because I was told the dementor had targeted the both of you."

  
"He did?" Targeted was the wrong word, Elsa thought. He had just _looked_ at her.

  
"It was weird," Hermione said, frowning at her friends, "when it was looking at Harry, he was completely out of it, in a daze." She shrugged. "But Elsa wasn't... well aside from appearing as freaked as each of us."

  
At McGonagall's surprised gaze on her, Elsa hunched up her shoulders subconsciously.   
That couldn't be good. This wasn't normal, apparently. What if they found out about her other powers? What was she supposed to say to that?!

  
"Um..."

  
They jumped at the sound of the door opening, announcing Flitwick's arrival.

"Excuse my tardiness, I had to prepare the choir for the feast."   
He waddled up to the desk, patting Elsa's arm.

  
"Glad to see you're fine. You are fine, aren't you?"

  
Feeling sick already by the question, Elsa forced a smile. "Yes, sir. I'm pretty hungry, though. Could we...?"

  
"My, of course. If Poppy gives an all clear you two can leave."

  
While the mediwitch did a final check-up, Elsa made sure to avoid looking at McGonagall. She didn't want any questions about the incident anymore. At least not until she had a believable explanation.

  
"You can go ahead, I have to talk to Miss Granger here and then we'll join you in the Great Hall."

Harry and Elsa walked on either side of Flitwick, eager to get away from the stern professor's office.

“Professor, what is a dementor?” Elsa asked the head of her house.

“Ah, they're the guards of Azkaban... searching for Sirius Black.” He shook his head, clearly disapproving of it.

“They weren't supposed to come this close to any of you.”

“What do they do?” Harry asked with a frown, still ashamed of fainting.

“They are drawn to troubled souls. They suck the happiness, all the good memories, every good feeling, leaving their victims hopeless and soulless.”

The professor shuddered.

“If possible, avoid them.” He advised when they reached the Great Hall.

The two students exchanged a worried glance before splitting to sit at their respective house tables.

Elsa caught Draco's gaze when she sat down next to Luna, forcing herself to give an assuring smile. According to his concerned expression, it didn't work.

She sighed and poured herself a cup of tea. They had missed the sorting, the new first-years were already sitting with them.

“Did you have a nice summer?” Luna asked.

Elsa was sure she was trying to be considerate, avoiding the train incident, but of course Luna had no idea that her summer was just as hard a topic as the dementor.

“It was alright. How about you? Found a solution to keep the Wrackspurts away?”

Luna smiled widely at that, happy that Elsa had remembered.

“Dad and I are working on it. But I found an interesting creature in the pond near our house. It's...”

Elsa tried to follow her explanations without getting lost in her own thoughts again.

A dementor was drawn to troubled souls. She was a troubled soul apparently. Who wouldn't be, after what she found out?

It would be a surprise if she could concentrate at school work at all.

* * *


	12. Chapter 12

* * *

After another restless night, Elsa tiredly poked the sausage on her plate at breakfast.

Not in the mood for chit-chat, she had opted to sit at the end of the Ravenclaw table this morning, trying to distract herself by studying her new timetable.

Arithmancy was the first today. Just what she needed after a sleepless night; a completely new and apparently complicated class with one of the strictest teachers.

She knew Hermione and Draco had chosen that elective too.

Right after came a double dose of Transfiguration with the Gryffindors.

After lunch it was Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid as their professor. The majority of the students had chosen it, so it was going to be a large class, which shouldn't be a problem since they'd be outside anyways.

Elsa looked up to check the weather. It was sunny, at least. She just hoped it wouldn't be too warm.

Then there was History of Magic with the Hufflepuffs and a free hour because of Astronomy with Gryffindor at midnight.

She rubbed her temple with one hand. At least no Potions or Herbology today.

“You look like the walking dead.”

Draco flopped down across from her, a frown on his face. Elsa gave him a half-smile.

“Just what I want to hear in the morning.”

The Slytherin didn't budge. “I heard what happened on the train. Potter fainted.”

Elsa nodded. “The dementor was attacking him.” She bit the inside of her cheek. “It felt as if I'd never be happy again.”

Best if she stuck to that, since apparently not reacting emotionally to the dementor was not normal.

“But you're okay now, aren't you?”

“My visit at home was not how I had imagined it.” Elsa shrugged. “I can't talk about it, but a problem arose and it's kinda dragging me down.”

Draco's mouth twisted. “You're not seriously thinking I will leave it at that.”

“I was hoping you could.” She shook her head when Draco opened his mouth again. “The best way to help me is to distract me so I don't have to think about the problem all the time.”

“So you just expect me to ignore your distress?”

“You're not ignoring it, you're being considerate of my wishes instead of _adding_ to said distress.”

Elsa could see his jaw working as he thought that over, clearly not happy with it.

She smiled and flicked a strand of his hair.

“I like the new style. Suits you way better.”

Draco observed her for a few moments before he gave a sideways smile.

“Yeah, it seems to draw quite the attention.” He nodded over to the Slytherin table.

Elsa followed the hint and noticed a few girls there giggling and whispering to each other.

The blonde raised an eyebrow, giving Draco a look.

“It doesn't seem to bother you at all.” She noted with a hint of humor. She could even understand the fangirls.

His boyish face had matured some, the summer sun had given him a sound tan, and with his new hairstyle he could've come straight from one of those witch magazines Mrs Weasley likes to read so much.

Being on the quidditch team was another popularity boost, of course.

Not that Elsa would acknowledge something like that.

“I won't complain.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “And it's not like they'd catch my eye or anything.”

Elsa forced herself to eat a few bites, swallowing before answering. “Well, it would certainly distract you from school and quidditch. Sides, you're way too young for a girlfriend, especially one that only likes your reputation.”

She rubbed her eye and fought a yawn.

“... I already said I'm not interested in any of them.” Draco pouted as he grabbed some toast.

“Is it bold of me to assume you're gonna tutor me in Potions again, Mr Popular?”

“I'd always make time for you.”

**xxx**

Arithmancy was indeed a demanding class. Not impossible for Elsa, though. It was like math, it just made sense once you understood it.

And concentrating on it gave her the distraction she needed. How was she supposed to figure out a solution for her problem if her mind was clogged up completely with it?

Distraction was the key, Elsa was sure of it.

The class was not as full as it could be, she noted. Sure, Professor Vector had the reputation to be very strict. On top of the difficulty level, it was a challenge not many were up to.

Hermione, who had seemed to appear out of nowhere, was soaking up the formulas like a sponge, appearing quite satisfied by her notes.

Elsa had to admit, the teaching was great, and she felt like she could relax. Just like with Astronomy. She definitely didn't regret choosing it.

The time flew by, and all too soon it was over. On the way to Transfiguration, Elsa frowned at Hermione.

“... What is that smell?”

Her Gryffindor friend was smelling like a bunch of perfumes and oils mixed together.

“Oh, I've been messing with a new spell.” Hermione said quickly, shrugging innocently. “It was supposed to create... scented candles.”

“Okay?” Elsa blinked. It wasn't that weird of Hermione to try out different and advanced spells.

“Arithmancy is so much more interesting than Divination. Reading tea leaves, what rubbish!”

“How would you know? This was our first class this year... and didn't Harry and Ron just have Divination?”

“It's not a well-kept secret, really. I've read all about it. I also can't wait for Ancient Runes tomorrow. Now that is an interesting subject. Have you already read ahead, too?”

The changing topics was making Elsa quite suspicious and spiked her curiosity, but at the same time she felt too exhausted – both mentally and physically – to question it.

“Not really. There's been a lot on my mind.”

“Well, I did. It's not gonna be easy, a lot of the symbols mean the same things.”

In a way, Elsa was glad that they reached the Transfiguration classroom then. With her tired state she couldn't quite bear Hermione's blabbering about how fascinating every single one of their classes was.

When she noticed Ron and Harry giving off the same scent as Hermione, she didn't question it. Maybe the girl had experimented with them around. Who cared?

“What's up with you?” Elsa asked when her friends were overly quiet and even seemed anxious.

“Trelawny, our Divination professor...” Ron gulped. “She said Harry would die...”

Eyes wide, Elsa looked at Harry, who shrunk in his seat.

She wasn't able to gather more information, as Professor McGonagall started her class.

They were learning about Animagi, but none of those who had been in Divination were quite paying attention.

When the professor asked them about their weird behavior, the knowledge of the previous class was all she needed to know.

Apparently McGonagall didn't quite believe in Divination and made the bunch of them feel tons better by downplaying the credibility of her horrible foreseeing.

“She's right, you know? Divination is just rubbish.” Hermione said on their way to lunch.

Ron was thinking quite differently, so Elsa decided to sit at the Ravenclaw table again to evade their predictable bickering. She was _not_ in the mood for this.

Padma and her two friends, along with Anthony, were sitting down next to her.

“Seriously, my sister is all over Divination. Totally obsessed with it.” Padma rolled her eyes.

“Sometimes it's better to not know the future.” Anthony shrugged. “I wouldn't want to know my death day, for example.”

“Then why did you take it?” Padma teased, loading her plate with potatoes.

“To broaden my field of knowledge.” He stuck out his tongue. “Wouldn't hurt you either.”

Elsa inwardly facepalmed. Way to evade senseless bickering.

Instead she sipped from her cup of pumpkin juice and looked up at the charmed ceiling again.

It was still a clear blue, and she dreaded going outside in the warm weather after lunch. In here it was a little cooler at least.

“You chose Care of Magical Creatures, right?”

Elsa looked up when Anthony talked to her.

“Yes. Right after lunch.”

“Mh, tell me what you guys did, then. I thought about taking it too, but decided for Muggle Studies then.”

“What about broadening your field of knowledge?” Elsa smiled.

“It's interesting to see it from a wizard's view.”

As she had feared, the weather outside was hot when they made their way to Hagrid's hut. The beating sun only added to Elsa's weariness.

She had taken off her cloak like everyone else and rolled up the sleeves of her blouse. Her wand was stored comfortable in her updo, easy to reach if needed.

Hagrid was visibly nervous, but excited as he led the numerous students to a fenced off area by the Forbidden Forest.

The monster books were easily opened with the trick of stroking their backs, though they wouldn't need the book this time, as he explained.

Behind the fence, there was a herd of strange creatures. Their front looked like a giant eagle, while their backs resembled a horse. They were about the size of a huge horse, too. There were wings attached to them, and their front legs ended in sharp and intimidating looking talons.

For the very first lesson, it seemed a little dangerous to Elsa, but then again it was Hagrid they were talking about. The man who tried to keep a dragon as a pet and named a three headed killer dog Fluffy.

Hagrid did a good job explaining that hippogriffs were very proud creatures and easily insulted. They should be approached with utmost respect, or it might be the last thing one does.

They did look very intimidating indeed, and aside from the talons there was also the sharp beak.

The new professor looked desperate when there were no volunteers to try approaching them, so Elsa gave Harry's back a little shove.

He had beaten a basilisk, so greeting hippogriff should be a piece of cake.

Harry gave her an annoyed look, but squared his shoulders and climbed over the fence. Hagrid patted his upper back proudly and explained how to proceed before untying one of the hippogriffs, a stormy gray large one.

“Buckbeak here is our little troublemaker.” Way to make Harry feel better.

The rest of the class came to stand by the fence, watching the interaction with interest and in some Slytherins' case, with anticipation.

Elsa's interest was more piqued by the hippogriff itself. Something about him seemed, dare she say it, _familiar_.

Though being positive she's never ever seen one before, this one gave her a warm feeling.

She watched with baited breath as Harry bowed deeply, Buckbeak mimicking the action after a few moments.

“Now you're allowed to pet him!” Hagrid encouraged with a relieved laugh.

They were too far away to see Harry's hand shaking, but the flinch when Buckbeak cawed was visible even from the distance.

Crabbe and Goyle gave a dark chuckle, appearing to hope Harry would lose his hand. Hermione shot them a glare, while Elsa was busy watching with a smile when their friend was able to pet the sharp beak.

“Well done, Harry, well done!” Hagrid cheered along with the majority of the crowd.

“Maybe he even lets you ride him.”

“Uh...”

“Don't be shy!” Hagrid laughed.

Harry eyed the hippogriff and carefully walked to its side. As if waiting for permission, he only dared to climb on it when it looked forward again.

As soon as he was sitting, Buckbeak started running and flapping his wings. Harry held onto him for dear life, while the creature seemed amused as it flew up in the sky and took a few rounds before coming to land again at Hagrid's whistle.

The landing looked quite rough, but Harry was laughing breathlessly as he got off, patting the feathery front again.

Elsa couldn't help but grin. Buckbeak was a wonderful creature. He appeared to laugh as he cawed again, enjoying the positive attention he was getting.

In a way, he really was like a horse.

Then suddenly, he stood straighter. It almost looked like he was sniffing, and then those large orange eyes were staring right at the crowd of students by the fence.

Elsa blinked. Was he staring at _her_?

The hippogriff started walking towards them at a rather fast pace.

“Buckbeak, down!” Hagrid yelled, but he wasn't listening.

The students yelped and backed away from the fence, despite knowing very well he could just fly over it.

However, Elsa felt like she didn't have to be afraid.

“Damnit Elsa, move it!” Draco hissed for her to retreat, but Elsa just waved him off, keeping eye contact with the approaching hippogriff.

He came to stand right on the opposite side of the fence and tilted his head. He blinked once, before bowing down himself first.

It took her a surprised moment, but then Elsa also bowed, smiling when Buckbeak cawed again and pushed his head towards the side of hers, practically nuzzling her.

She reached up to pet the side of his feathery neck, giggling at the way his horse tail swished happily from side to side.

“Unbelievable.” Hagrid muttered, hands on his hips with a puzzled expression on his face. “I think that's the fastest someone ever bonded with a hippogriff.”

The others didn't dare to come closer yet, wary about the sharp talons, but their fear was diminishing bit by bit at seeing the dangerous creature act so playful.

“Aw, you're a little cuddle-bug, aren't you?” Elsa cooed softly, exhaustion forgotten when Buckbeak cawed in agreement.

In the background, Draco was quite captivated by the scene. Seeing Elsa bathed in the afternoon sunlight, the gentle smile on her face as she tended to the majestic hippogriff, it did something to him.

There was a warm feeling spreading from his chest, butterflies tickling his insides. He didn't even notice how his own mouth tugged into a soft smile.

“Oh please, what a fake.” Pansy's voice cut him from his calm observation. “I bet they aren't even remotely dangerous.”

Buckbeak looked at her, clawing at the dirt restlessly. Elsa frowned at Pansy, hoping she wouldn't do anything stupid.

“Give it a rest, Pansy.” Draco told her off.

“What? It's acting like a stupid puppy, I bet they couldn't even kill a mouse with how dumb they are.”

When Buckbeak flapped his wings once, clearly insulted, as if he could really understand everything Pansy said, Elsa decided to act.

Though instead of going for the Slytherin, she rather climbed over the fence spontaneously and cooed at Buckbeak to follow her, away from the students and, most importantly, away from Pansy.

She came to stand closer to Harry, Buckbeak having calmed a little. However, Pansy hasn't had enough yet.

“Wait, what are you doing?! Stay here!” Draco tried to grab Pansy when she, in a fit of rage, also climbed over the fence.

“Don't think you can make me look inferior by just walking away from me!” She practically growled, stomping to where Buckbeak was. Elsa had no idea if she meant the beast or herself.

The hippogriff started to get restless again, unsure of what this loud girl wanted.

“Stay away, Pansy!” Elsa warned, seeing how Buckbeak nervously clawed the grass and dirt underneath his talons.

Hagrid was also hurrying closer, Buckbeak's collar in hands. He also shouted for Pansy to stay away.

It was too late, though. She came way too close and even dared to try to touch him without his permission. Buckbeak saw her as a threat, a disrespectful threat, and scratched right over her outstretched arm.

Pansy screeched and fell back, the white fabric of her blouse starting to soak with blood from the gash.

Buckbeak tried to attack her again, her screaming unnerving him, but Hagrid had managed to collar him and tugged him back with great difficulty.

The half-giant was deathly pale under his bushy beard, not even reacting to Buckbeak nipping at his leather-clad shoulder.

Harry tried to help somehow, but the hippogriff was wildly trying to free himself and almost trampled Harry.

“Down, Beaky! I said DOWN!”

Elsa could see how overwhelmed Hagrid was. Pansy's screams were reduced to whimpering, her whole arm red from her blood. None of the others dared to come closer with Buckbeak still wild.

Another spontaneous thought came to Elsa's mind, it just felt like it would be the right thing.

She walked over so she was in Buckbeak's line of sight and caught his orange gaze again, giving him a stern look when she had his attention.

He slowly stopped struggling and cawed pitifully.

Elsa kept the eye contact and grabbed the collar. Her heart was still thumping wildly, but she knew she was in control here. And she knew Buckbeak knew this, too.

“I got him.” She assured Hagrid and started to walk backwards, to lead him away from Pansy and more towards the rest of the hippogriffs.

Hagrid tried not to panic. On one hand he couldn't just leave a student alone with a dangerous hippogriff, but at the same time another was seriously injured.

“You need to take her to the hospital!” Harry urged Hagrid, seeing this was priority.

“Right!”

Elsa gently shushed Buckbeak, occupying him until she saw Hagrid on the other side of the fence with Pansy in his arms.

Buckbeak cawed a little quieter when Harry approached them, pushing his beak into Harry's hand to be petted more.

“This is not going to end well...” Harry mumbled, eyes on the retreating form of Hagrid.

The Slytherins were following suite, while the rest was still by the fence, talking among themselves.

“It's not his fault. She insulted and scared him...” Elsa defended Buckbeak.

While she didn't even really know him, it felt like she _did_. And for the first time in weeks she had felt better.

“At least it wasn't Malfoy. I don't wanna imagine what his dad would've done if it was his precious son being injured.”

“We don't know Pansy's parents... could be they're even worse.” Elsa sighed. Couldn't anything go well for once?

**xxx**

Pansy was milking the injury for all she could. While Madam Pomfrey was able to heal it just fine, the Slytherin girl swore she could still feel the pain. Not to mention the traumatic experience that would haunt her forever.

Hagrid, against all fears, hasn't been thrown out and was still allowed to teach. Though he kept to pretty harmless creatures from then on, just to be on the safe side.

They just hoped that there wouldn't be any bad news following up the incident.

Buckbeak was probably more traumatized than Pansy, according to Hagrid. Elsa has made it a habit to visit him before dinner, the hippogriff enjoying it to the fullest.

It was nice to get some fresh air, too.

Elsa's current worry concentrated on DADA. Harry, Ron and Hermione had told her about their first lesson, how they faced a boggart that had hid in a wardrobe in the teacher's lounge.

A boggart was a being that took the appearance of what you most feared.

She had hoped that, since there had been only one boggart, they would be spared. However, Lupin had said he'd get another one for next week so they could have the equal amount of experience.

Her biggest fear. Elsa didn't even know where to start. Ron said his had been a large spider.

It could be a spider for her too, considering last year's adventure in the Forbidden Forest.

The basilisk was another possibility.

That would be okay, she guessed, but what if it showed an abstract way of her powers acting up and everyone finding out? She'd have no idea how to explain it, let alone how to turn it into anything funny.

“This is stupid.” Draco mumbled from his place next to Elsa, arms crossed as he frowned at the chest rattling in the middle of the classroom.

Lupin was late that day, so they could observe the caged boggart.

Crabbe and Goyle were pitying Pansy, who kept moaning about her arm. Elsa noticed her glancing at Draco permanently, undoubtedly hoping he would dote on her too.

“It's unnecessary.” Elsa agreed, also crossing her arms.

Sleeping had become an impossible feat to her. She was running on maybe three hours per night, spending the rest of it tossing and turning and thinking about her nearly hopeless future.

The constant exhaustion was weighing her mood down enough, she didn't need a fear-fueled creature to give her a scare too.

“There are so many boggarts in hiding, it's good to learn how to fight one.” Michael Corner noted.

Draco rolled his eyes, pointedly ignoring Pansy's pitiful whine right behind him.

Michael and Anthony gave her a sideways glance.

“Drakey, will you help me with my star chart this evening? I can't properly draw with my arm...”

“No.” Draco didn't even turn around.

Elsa watched the exchange with a raised eyebrow. She hid a yawn behind her hand, simply turning around at the glare she received from Pansy.

She stood straighter when Lupin finally arrived. There wasn't much more explanation needed, as they've been through the theory the last lesson.

Padma was the first to go, the boggart creeping out of the chest as a slimy snake.

Elsa shuddered and took a step back. It was not as scary as a basilisk, but for sure icky.

Using their newly learned spell, _Riddikulus_ , Padma turned the boggart into some sort of accordion that writhed on the ground and creating tumbling tunes.

Some of her classmates laughed, Michael stepping up next. The boggart turned into a giant bat. He faltered, but gathered enough courage to force its wings to shrink so the fat body rolled helplessly on the ground.

Millicent Bulstrode was sent up front next, her head held high and jaw squared as she watched the boggart became a levitating ball of liquid, flying at her.

Millicent kept her wand in a tight grip, the ball of water engulfing her head and trying to drown her.

Elsa's eyes widened. The fear of drowning, she hadn't even thought about something like this.

Lupin made a move to assist her, but Millicent was able to cast the spell, blubbering into the water, and turning the liquid into a bunch of butterflies that fluttered around.

They flew in a collective to Anthony, manifesting into a murderous looking clown.

The Ravenclaw winced and took a step back when it moved towards him, cackling crazily.

He wasn't successful with the spell, it just wasn't working. The clown kept approaching him.

Alice, a fellow Ravenclaw, came to stand between them bravely, gulping as the boggart turned into a very strict looking elderly woman.

A determined expression took over her face before she made the woman grow an elephant's trunk and ears.

There was laughter, even Elsa had to chuckle at the sight. She noticed Draco retreating a little more. He seemed to be scared of the boggart.

Elsa wondered what _his_ biggest fear was.

She had different worries then, because the boggart was facing her now. Elsa bit her lip, taking her wand out of her sleeve and readying herself. She only hoped it wouldn't give away her powers.

The elephant lady morphed into a blackish smoke that manifested as a shadow figure of a huge man. To the others, it looked like he had spiky hair, but Elsa immediately defined it as a crown.

Her heart dropped into her stomach, eyes widening.

The figure moved its arms, and suddenly Elsa couldn't use her hands anymore. They were engulfed with the same black smoke the figure consisted of.

Panic started to settle inside her when it came towards her, but Lupin was suddenly there, blocking her from it.

The boggart became a white orb, easily destroyed by the professor turning him into a burst of glittering confetti.

Elsa looked down at her hands, clenching them to fists when she felt how much they were shaking.

She hadn't even considered being scared of the evil prince. On the other hand, it made sense.

Aside from her shocking realization that she was adopted and really _a_ _half spirit_ , her wicked future was a big part of her worries too.

An evil wizard king that thrived for immortality was bad enough, but to Elsa an evil wizard prince that was to _marry her_ was worse. Who knew what he would do to her? What if he'd find a way to magically bind her ice powers, making her completely helpless?

Draco had picked up her wand from where she had dropped it and held it out to her.

“Hey, are you okay?”

Elsa blinked and wrapped her arms around herself after storing her wand in her sleeve again.

“Yes.”

She couldn't tell anyone. Never ever.

“That was good, everyone. Next week we're talking about Red Caps, class is dismissed.” Lupin loudly declared.

**xxx**

Trying to hide everything was getting harder after that. While her Gryffindor friends didn't know about the boggart incident, they did notice her disheveled and exhausted state.

And Draco and Anthony kept playing overprotective, not quite bothering her with questions, but by practically forcing her to eat, for example.

Elsa couldn't even muster up the energy to pretend anymore. She tried to keep up her grades, which was taking up more time than she had anticipated since she couldn't really concentrate with how scattered her thoughts were.

When she was packing her things after Arithmancy, she was taking her time, hoping Anthony and Draco would just leave without her.

With Hermione she didn't have to worry, since she always was in a hurry lately.

Draco had to leave eventually if he didn't want to be late for his next class with the Hufflepuffs, but Anthony was waiting for her.

“Just go ahead, you'll be late.” Elsa said, rummaging through her magical bag as if she was looking for something.

“So will you.” Anthony rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

“Mr Goldstein, you may leave. I need to have a private word with Miss Winters anyways.”

At the strict professor's tone, Anthony only hesitated very shortly before nodding and heading out.

Elsa gave up her pretense of rummaging and slung the bag over her shoulder, walking up to stand in front of Professor Vector's desk.

“Can you tell me what's going on?”

“... What do you mean?” Elsa's thoughts ran over the last few weeks. She had paid special attention to Arithmancy class and homework so the professor didn't have any reason to target her with a strict lecture.

So it couldn't be about her homework or anything.

“Do you think we teachers are completely blind? Come on, why are you running around like a zombie?”

Taken aback by the forwardness, Elsa blinked. She didn't quite know what to say.

Vector held up her hands. “Okay, Lupin told me about the boggart. Or well, he told it Flitwick and I overheard.”

“I am fine. The boggart incident was weeks ago.”

“And that's the exact amount of time you haven't slept soundly.”

Elsa clenched the strap of her bag tighter.

“I spent summer at home. There are some... new developments that I need to work through.”

The professor raised an eyebrow.

“Royal issues, I am not allowed to talk about it.” Elsa elaborated.

“Alright, Elsa. I get that you try to get through this alone, but you can't let it eat you completely. What you are doing, it's not healthy.”

“There's not much I can do now, can I?” Elsa couldn't help but say bitterly.

“I can't answer that without more information about the issue.” Vector said. “Look, your head of house is supposed to talk to you, but Filius is way too sensitive, and I believe you don't need pitying.”

She tapped the top of her wooden desk with a finger, eyes on Elsa.

“You're a princess and a very strong witch. You need to _and will_ find a solution to whatever problem is weighing you down currently. So stop playing poor little girl and get your will to fight back!”

Elsa jumped when Vector slapped the tabletop at the last part.

As harsh as it sounded, the professor was right. She needed to stop playing victim and needed to start searching for a solution. The pity party needed to stop.

“That... that really helped, I think.” Elsa couldn't help but smile.

Vector gave a curt nod. “Now go, and if I see you looking like this again next week I'll have Madam Pomfrey put you on sedatives.”

Elsa gave a short laugh, that quickly faded at seeing the professor's serious expression.

“Uhm. Thank you, professor.” Fleeing seemed to be the best option right now.

At lunch, Draco was surprised to see Elsa load her plate without his pestering.

He and Anthony exchanged a look, the latter shrugging.

“You seem to be in a better mood.”

“Oh, yes.” She took a sip from her pumpkin juice. “Professor Vector gave me some good advice.”

She didn't elaborate and rather concentrated on eating.

“Well... I'm glad you're feeling better.” Draco gave a sideways smile.

“No. Way. Seriously?!” Michael Corner's rather loud exclamation caught their attention.

Cho was laughing. “Yes, seriously. I can't believe it, I made the team.”

Anthony raised an eyebrow. “I didn't even know our team was a player short...”

Becky rolled her eyes. “David Smith graduated last year, our seeker.”

“I thought he was fourteen or something...”

“Yup, totally scrawny, wasn't he? But now we have Cho, and she's gonna boost us past the others!”

Cho shook her head and patted her best friend's shoulder. “Chill, don't exaggerate so much.”

“I'm not. We won the house cup last year, this year the quidditch trophy is ours!”

Penelope sat down next to her. “How can we be related?”

“You know, I was thinking the exact same thing when I saw you snogging with Percy Weasley this morning.”

The seventh-year hit her sister's arm with wide eyes. “You're not supposed to spy on me!”

“ _You're_ supposed to be a role model, Miss Head Girl.”

Elsa listened to the conversation with a smile, thinking of Anna. Sure, they weren't _real_ sisters, but she still saw Anna as such. She'd do anything for her, no matter how much she'd tease and annoy her.

**xxx**

“You look quite depressed.”

Harry glanced at her, a grumpy expression on his face. “ _You_ are not allowed to say that. Or do I have to remind you of your zombie face a month ago?”

Elsa pursed her lips and simply flicked Harry's ear.

“Violence doesn't suit you.” He mumbled, rubbing his ear.

The Gryffindor sighed and lazily noted down a star in his star chart.

“And sulking doesn't suit _you_.” Having already finished her Astronomy homework, Elsa was busy reading in one of the law books.

“It's about Hogsmeade... the first trip is up tomorrow.”

“Yes. So?”

“My uncle didn't sign my permission... and McGonagall refuses to sign it for me...”

Elsa sighed and put her book down. “So you're not allowed to go?”

Harry miserably shook his head. “It sucks. I'm the only one in our year.”

“Well, I'm not going either.” She declared, taking his star chart and erasing his errors.

Green eyes narrowed. “As if you haven't got a permission.”

“I do.”

“You don't have to stay here because of me.” Harry took the chart back and frowned at how much she had erased.

“Don't worry, it's not because of you. I just don't see the appeal of pointlessly running around there, especially with a dangerous escaped wizard on the lose.”

Elsa smiled as she pushed her own star chart over for Harry to copy the correct answers.

“Not a risk worth taking.”

Harry couldn't help but smile gratefully.

The next day, Elsa was standing outside, where the other students were gathering slowly.

“You're not coming?” Draco blinked.

“No. I have so many things to do, better use the quiet time to get something done.”

Draco crossed his arms. “You've been overworking yourself for weeks now. I rarely see you without a book in your hands anymore.”

Elsa laughed and shook her head. “You didn't like it when I was in a bad mood. And now that I'm ambitious you're still being overly protective.”

“I'm not sure it's an improvement if you're wearing yourself ragged.” He sighed. “Why won't you talk about what's bothering you?”

“How come you're not showing any concern when it comes to Pansy's problems?”

Draco glanced to where Pansy and his other Slytherin classmates were waiting, the pug-faced girl glaring in their direction.

“Pansy is an open book. Her problems are as mundane as herself.” He faced Elsa again, leaning closer.

“But you... you intrigue me.”

At the intense gaze Elsa felt her mouth go dry. He was way too perceptive for her taste.

“I'm not that interesting, either.”

“Funny.” The ghost of a smile tugged at the Slytherin's lips, his silver stare not wavering the slightest. “Uninteresting people generally don't have to say that.”

Elsa found herself unable to reply, mesmerized by the intensity. When he took a step closer, she blinked.

“What are you trying so hard to hide?” He murmured.

She had no idea why her heart was hammering so much then. He couldn't know anything, could he?

“I'm a princess.” She blurted out, surprising herself. Had she lost her mind?

Draco frowned and leaned back. “What?”

“Ahaha, I mean... uhm.” She averted her gaze, tucking a few lose strands behind her ear. “Gotcha?”

“Merlin, you're _serious_.” His silver eyes were wide.

Elsa hurried to shush him. “No one is supposed to know. You have to keep it a secret!”

How could she be so stupid and just blurt out that secret without a second thought?

“I thought this was only a joke from those insufferable twins!” Draco exclaimed in a whisper.

“They _think_ it is a joke, they don't know it's the truth.” Elsa rubbed her temples. “Look, I'm the crown princess of the kingdom. Nobody aside from the teachers and Harry know.”

“Potter knows?” He ran a hand through his hair. “You know what, it doesn't matter. It makes sense. Just the way you are.”

“You're not freaking out?”

“Nah, why would I? Totally cool. A real-life princess. Who would've guessed. No reason to freak out at all.”

“Really? Cause it sounds a lot like you do.”

“I'm just... processing things.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “This is weird.”

Elsa sighed. “Weirder than me being muggleborn?” Not that she really was, she noted. But Draco wasn't supposed to know _that_.

“Well... no. I guess not.” He shrugged. “I just... am I supposed to address you differently now?”

“No. Definitely not. Just act like you always do. Maybe a tad bit less overprotective.”

“I don't think I can turn it off that easily...”

McGonagall called out for attention, they were leaving in a few moments.

“Have fun. I'll see you at the feast later.” Elsa waved a still slightly dazed Draco off before walking inside the castle.

Harry was standing at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for her. His mood was worse again.

“Now what do you want to do?” She asked.

Her books wouldn't run away if she took one afternoon off, she figured. And it wasn't like she was looking forward to reading about the etiquette of one of their trading partners' kingdoms.

“I can't do what I _want_ to do...” He mumbled.

Elsa rolled her eyes and pushed his shoulder before taking the stairs with him. “Then let's just explore the castle.”

For the lack of a better idea aside from homework, Harry trudged along next to her through the halls.

They talked about various things, and the distraction did wonders to the Gryffindor's mood.

They stopped when a door opened, Lupin just coming out. He appeared surprised at seeing them, though he wisely didn't mention Hogsmeade.

“Ah, Harry, Elsa. Nice to see you. Care for a cup of tea?”

Harry eagerly agreed, while Elsa tilted her head in thought. Maybe it was good to leave the two alone to talk.

The Gryffindor _had_ been saying something about wanting to ask Lupin about the boggart.

“Thank you for the offer, but I wanted to write a letter home, I'll be in the library if you need me.” She said, directing the last part at Harry, and quickly made her retreat.

Writing home actually would be a good idea. At least to Anna. She still avoided thinking about her not-parents anymore. The king and queen may have taken her in and raised her, but their reasons were selfish.

And while Elsa was ready to fight for her freedom, she couldn't forgive them yet.

* * *


	13. Chapter 13

* * *

Harry was in a better mood when their friends were back. The talk with Lupin had gone quite well, Elsa mused.

Apparently Lupin had known his parents when he was young and could tell Harry a little bit about them. That alone made him rise as Harry's new favorite teacher, and that he didn't try to shield him off everything just because Sirius Black was running around somewhere.

Just like Elsa was tired of the over-protectiveness, Harry was downright annoyed by it. With him being the boy-who-lived, it was ten times worse for him, so it was understandable he was getting rebellious.

Hermione and Ron brought loads of sweets from Honeydukes, a candy shop in Hogsmeade, and also talked about all the other shops they visited.

Elsa really didn't regret not joining them. Sure, a little change of scenery would've been nice, but she hadn't been lying when she said she had loads of work to do.

Homework was one thing, the lesser evil. However, she also had promised her foster parents to study the books about royal businesses, and she couldn't just let that slide out of spite.

She wouldn't let Anna down, after all.

In addition to that was also her quest to learn all about the magical law so she could try to find a way to get out of the magical binding contract, and _maybe_ she could also find a way to keep this evil king and prince away for good.

She really tried to stay positive through all of this. She _had_ to.

At the Halloween feast, Elsa sat at the Ravenclaw table with Luna. She was definitely not in the mood to hear all about Hogsmeade _again_ from her own classmates.

The only good thing about them chatting about that was that it distracted Anthony from her so she could eat and talk to Luna in peace.

“Professor Snape is in a really bad mood lately.” The younger blonde stated out of the blue during dessert.

“Mh,” Elsa swallowed her mouthful of chocolate pudding, “horrible. You should've seen how he made Neville cry because of a messed up ingredient yesterday.”

“I didn't want to brew one of those draughts. It was bad vibes, I'm telling you.”

Elsa tried not to smile too wide at the image of Luna telling that to Snape.

“What did he say?”

Luna pouted. “I got detention.”

The older blonde shook her head. “Cutting up dead animal parts isn't what I'd call fun either, but it's necessary to pass, so... well.”

“But Draco helps you, doesn't he?”

Blue eyes flickered to where Draco was discussing something, probably Quidditch related, with a few of his teammates.

An involuntary smile edged its way on her face.

“Yes, he's been a big help.”

After dinner, they didn't even reach their common room when Flitwick was already coming after them, out of breath.

“Stop! No one enters the common room!”

The students waited for their head teacher to reach them.

“What's going on, professor?”

“You're all going back to the Great Hall now, there's been an... an incident.”

Puzzled, Elsa and Luna followed their classmates back to the hall. On their way there, they merged with the Gryffindors.

“What happened?” Elsa asked Harry in a hushed voice, already dreading her friend's answer.

“Sirius Black is in Hogwarts...” was all he said.

Ron leaned over. “He sliced up the portrait of the fat lady that guards our common room.”

“That doesn't sound good...” Luna noted, exchanging a worried frown with Elsa.

“How did he get past the dementors?”

“He already managed once, of course he could do it a second time.” Ron shrugged.

Elsa shook her head. “But what about Hogwarts' wards? He couldn't have gone past them _and_ the dementors without anyone noticing anything.”

“Maybe he had help.” Anthony had fallen into step with them.

“This is concerning.”

With Percy making sure that his siblings were all in a heap so he could have a better eye on them, Elsa opted to stay with Luna when they were told to sleep in the Great Hall in sleeping bags, while the teachers would comb the castle for signs of Sirius Black.

“I swear to Merlin, all of this trouble because of Potter.”

Elsa looked up from her borrowed copy of the Quibbler when Draco had pulled his sleeping bag up next to hers.

“It's not his fault a serial killer is after him.” She simply said, noting how he rolled his eyes as he sat down.

“Anyways, I'm not afraid of him. I will protect you.”

Elsa couldn't help but laugh, hiding it behind her hand.

“Sorry.” She said at his perturbed expression. “I'm not scared either. And I can take good care of myself.”

Draco was a little taken aback by how easily his heroic offer had been turned down. He narrowed his eyes at the magazine she was reading.

“You're not seriously believing the things written in there, do you?”

The Ravenclaw raised an eyebrow, daring Draco to say anything mean. With Luna also looking at him, he noticed his mistake, rubbing the back of his neck and his pale cheeks coloring slightly.

“Uhm. I mean, most people don't believe the interesting facts stated in there.”

Luna gave Elsa an amused smile and continued to read her book.

“There's an article about the creatures related to the air elemental.” Elsa informed him.

“You're still on about that?”

“Yes.” Even more now that she knew she was partly Spirit. “It's a hobby.”

Draco tilted his head. “Like the sewing?”

Elsa smiled. “I haven't done much of it for a while now, but yes.”

A thought crossed her mind after a few moments. She put the magazine down to face the Slytherin fully.

“Hey, would you mind tutoring Luna in Potions too?”

Luna looked up in surprise. Draco blinked, not having expected such a question.

“Oh. Erm, sure, why not?”

The happy smile directed at him was definitely worth it, Draco decided. And if Elsa had befriended Luna, she couldn't be that bad, right?

**xxx**

It had been false alarm, was the official statement the next morning. That only meant that they didn't find him, not that he wasn't _there_. At least that was the common opinion in the Ravenclaw house.

Since there was no trace of Black, there was no reason to start a panic. So the game, the first of the season, would take place, no matter the harsh weather.

Elsa could've imagined doing much more important things that rainy Saturday, but since it was Gryffindor versus Slytherin, she felt obligated to watch it.

Draco had complained loads about the storm, about how he was supposed to catch the snitch when he couldn't even properly see, even through his goggles.

Hermione had charmed Harry's, so Elsa thought there was no harm in doing the same for Draco. Fair chance for everyone.

“Just remember to not taunt him again.” She teased when she handed the goggles back.

“As if I could with this weather...” Draco grumbled as he put on the goggles.

“Make sure you don't fall off your broom, Malfoy.” Elsa rolled her eyes with a smile and reached up to flick a strand of hair out of his forehead.

Draco blushed and pushed his already wet hair back out of his face.

Elsa laughed at his expression and put the hood of her cloak up before marching off to find a seat with her friends on one of the stands.

It was really no condition to fly, let alone play quidditch.

She couldn't even see anything, just hear Madam Hooch's whistle every once in a while signaling a goal.

There was a dash of green and red within the gray clouds, Elsa guessed that Harry and Draco had seen the snitch.

The two of them vanished in the sky, too far up to be visible anymore.

Elsa really didn't care who won, as long as the game would just end and she could get inside and dry.

“Oh my!”

Startled by Hermione's yell, Elsa narrowed her eyes to see Harry falling like a sack of potatoes.

Gasping, Elsa's hands flicked up automatically, about to try and create a soft landing spot, but it wasn't necessary.

Like an acrobatic artist, Draco had gotten a hold of his rival's quidditch uniform, hanging from his broom by just his legs hooked over it.

Despite the horrible sight, Elsa could see him cursing under his breath as he tried to keep from slipping off his own broom in the wind.

Her racing heart only slowed when Madam Hooch took Harry's unconscious form from Draco, and the Slytherin was sitting fully on his broom again.

There was some sort of verbal exchange between the flying instructor and Draco, the blond appearing angry about something before dashing off again to find the snitch.

“Why aren't they stopping the game?!” Hermione practically screeched, cutting off the circulation in Ron's arm.

“A game doesn't just stop when someone falls off their broom!” Ron yelled back over the rain and crowd.

“It only ends when the snitch is caught!”

“Why did he even fall off?” Elsa wondered out loud, trying to see a glimpse of Draco in the sky.

After all, Harry had stayed on his broom when it has actively tried to throw him off in their first year. Not to mention the rogue bludger last year. Even with a broken arm he had managed.

There were collective gasps as several fingers pointed at dark figures showing themselves far up above them.

“Those are dementors...” Luna whispered next to Elsa, her own eyes wide.

A weight settled in Elsa's chest, these creatures were definitely a bad sign.

They just levitated around for a while, but suddenly one of them shot down to where Elsa was flinching.

However, the dementor was pushed away by a white-lighted non-verbal spell, cast by a furious Dumbledore.

Heart thumping against her rib cage, Elsa tried to calm her breathing. Had she really been the target? Nonsense, there were at least thirty other students on the stand, why would it go after her especially?

From the Slytherin's came a thunderous cheering when Draco landed on the pitch, holding up the snitch.

The worry for Harry pushed Hermione, Ron and Elsa to join the Gryffindor team to the hospital wing, where Harry had been brought to. He was still out cold and pale.

“Did someone get his broom?” Luna asked.

The twins were volunteering to go find it, but Draco was already coming inside, holding up broken parts of Harry's Nimbus 2000.

“Oh no...” Hermione winced at the irreparable state it was in.

“The wind blew it right into the Whomping Willow...” Draco looked honestly sorry, and even a little pitiful with how dripping wet he was.

He shook off Pansy, who had followed inside and tried to pat him dry with a towel and came to stand by Elsa.

“What happened up there?” Ginny asked. “We only saw him falling...” She shuddered.

“That's what I want to know, too.” Dumbledore's voice carried inside. He was followed by McGonagall and Snape.

Draco squared his shoulders. “We were going for the snitch, but then it was suddenly freezing cold. We've been surrounded by dementors. They were going for Harry, and then he just fainted and fell.”

“This is a scandal, Albus!” McGonagall shook her head, face white. “Dementors, this close to the Hogwarts grounds. One of them tried to _attack_ them directly!”

Her gaze flickered to Elsa for a moment, who quickly averted her gaze, downplaying it by grabbing a towel from the stack Madam Pomfrey had brought and handing it to Draco.

Pansy's gaze was murderous when he took it. The hatred was so intense that Elsa almost felt intimidated by the pug-faced girl.

“Indeed. This cannot be tolerated, I will take care of it.”

**xxx**

Harry hadn't been too happy when he woke up. His broom was one thing, but the other was that they lost the game against Slytherin. Because of him.

Oliver Wood had looked close to tears, but assured Harry they weren't mad. It wasn't his fault, after all.

Still, Harry was inconsolable. He felt horrible about being such an easy target for the dementors.

In the next weeks after the incident, Elsa found herself become a victim to not-so-nice pranks.

There were slimy globs hitting her from out of nowhere, for example, or toy spiders giving her a scare.

It wasn't anything dangerous, but annoying enough. Elsa was pretty sure Pansy was the culprit, since the girl kept taunting her multiple times. She just ignored her, though, which only seemed to fuel the Slytherin's rage.

The million worries Elsa kept inside were bad enough without the added problem of a crazy teenage girl.

Not to mention she noticed how the teachers kept a closer eye on her again. She didn't _need_ this kind of attention when she was trying to distract herself.

Not even the thought of the upcoming Christmas break was able to cheer her up. She was looking forward to seeing Mrs Weasley again, but that was it. It wasn't like there was anything else to look forward to.

She was looking for Draco one afternoon, surprised to find him in the library with Luna, Ginny and Neville.

Confused by the unusual combo, she stayed behind the shelves to eavesdrop.

“I swear to Merlin, Longbottom. It's not _that_ hard. See, two times clock-wise, one time counter-clockwise. Rinse and repeat.”

Neville's ears were pink, but he had a determined expression on his face as he noted it down.

“Is this recipe okay?” Ginny asked, showing Draco her list.

“Yeah, but the bat spleen needs to be cut in stripes, not cubes.”

“What's the difference?”

Elsa could practically hear him rolling his eyes as he answered, though, very patiently. “Cubing them gives off too much juice, which makes it too watery and gives it the greenish tinge.”

“Oh, so that's what I did wrong the last time!” Luna exclaimed, sounding happy.

Smiling, Elsa stepped up to the table. “Am I interrupting something?”

“Draco's helping us with Potions.” Ginny said, her expression amused. Opposed to her brothers, she was giving him a chance, and so far she seemed to be pretty pleased.

“That I can see.” She couldn't help but smile at how Draco looked away, rubbing the back of his neck again, giving her a glance of the friendship bracelet he was still wearing.

“It's good practice.” Neville's eyes were wide. “I feel nervous, just like with Snape!”

Ginny laughed and shoved his arm playfully.

“Well, I guess I'll leave you to it, then.” Elsa chuckled into the back of her hand.

“Come sit with us!” Ginny invited her immediately. “I also have a Charms essay I want someone to proof-read.”

“And I haven't even started _our_ Charms homework yet...” Neville added morosely. “Or Transfiguration. Or Astronomy.”

“You need to stop procrastinating, Longbottom. Like seriously.” Draco scolded him.

Heaving a sigh, Elsa sat down next to Luna and took Ginny's Charms homework to read over it.

“Is she still bothering you?” Luna asked her out of the blue, immediately gathering a certain blond's attention.

“Who's bothering you?”

“No one.” Elsa was quick to answer, frowning down at the parchment in her hands.

“Wait, so it's true?” Ginny tapped the table. “There was this rumor that-”

“It's nothing.” Elsa insisted. She really just should've left when she had the chance.

“Seriously, Winters?!”

Elsa rolled her eyes. She held Draco's stern gaze with her own. Her patience with the over-protectiveness was wearing thin.

The tension was high, none of them backing down, until Neville blurted out that “Pansy keeps on bullying her.”

“Neville!” Elsa hissed.

“What?!”

“It's no big deal. Nothing I couldn't handle.” She pointedly ignored him then, marking some of Ginny's errors.

Draco glared at thin air. “What is she doing?” He directed at Neville.

“Uhm...” he glanced at Elsa, who stubbornly fixated on the essay.

“She charmed spiders to jump-scare a few days ago, for example.”

“That bitch!” Ginny's hiss was making Elsa look up in surprise.

“What the... Ginny, language!” Elsa scolded.

“What, do you want us to just let her bully you? When I tell my brothers they will-”

“They will get themselves in trouble with reckless behavior _for nothing_. You know how often they tried to get back at her for bullying Hermione. And I don't care about her taunts or slime balls or whatever. It's not hurting me or anything.”

Draco slammed his hand on the table when he got up abruptly. “I'm gonna kill her.”

“Let me help.” Elsa watched in disbelief as Draco and Ginny stormed out of the library, completely ignoring her.

“Have they lost their mind?!”

The news went around quite fast then. Draco had confronted Pansy, basically making a scene in front of a bunch of classmates that left the girl close to tears.

Ginny's threat to hex her wasn't even necessary with how spiteful and furious Malfoy was.

When a few older Slytherins tried to call him off for bonding with their rivals, he practically exploded, letting out his frustrations on _them_.

Instead of a catastrophe, it brought him respect. From his own house, and the others.

He himself was probably the most surprised by the outcome.

“That was completely irresponsible of you! What if she had tried to hex you? You could've gotten in trouble with the professors!”

Draco couldn't help but smile at Elsa's rant in the evening.

“Lupin was there.” He threw in. Of course he hadn't known that their DADA teacher had listened from afar, but in the aftermath it was just assuring him that he's been doing the right thing.

“The Weasley girl said he even looked like he was approving of it.”

Elsa gave him a look. “Sure, just what your ego needed.”

Draco laughed. “Are you seriously mad because I stepped up for you and didn't get in any trouble for it?”

Folding her arms, Elsa stopped pacing to face Draco, who was sitting with his feet comfortably propped up on the table.

At the stern gaze, he took them down with an eye-roll.

Elsa sighed and sat down. “I really like that you're trying to be nice to the others.”

“If I had known it would end like this I would've done it earlier. And it felt good to finally tell Pansy where to shove it.”

“It could've ended very differently, Draco...” Elsa shook her head. “Maybe it's going to get even worse now. I don't know what her problem with me is, but your behavior towards her was probably the trigger.”

“I don't know what you're talking about.”

“You're constantly brushing her off lately, pretend she's not there at all. And since we're spending so much time together she's pranking me for revenge.”

“Pansy just can't stand someone else having my attention. And if she tries to hurt you again I will kill her for real.”

“You can't really mean that.”

Draco leaned forward. “Anyone hurting you is on my list. No exceptions.”

Elsa threw her hands up in exasperation. “What's with you guys being so overly protective? I don't need people to shield and avenge me.”

“So you didn't stand up for Granger when I insulted her in the first year? Or for Potter when you thought I got him expelled?”

When Elsa didn't answer, he gave a knowing look. “See? All the same. So chill, princess, and let me be your knight in shining armor.”

“You're horrible.” She stated, but couldn't help a tiny smile.

**xxx**

“Oh come on, don't be a spoilsport.” Harry had just told Elsa that he would use his invisibility cloak to follow the others to Hogsmeade.

It was the last visit before Christmas break, the snow falling in heavy flakes from the sky.

"As much as I'd love to break the rules again and get into trouble with you, I have to decline."

"It's only trouble if we get caught, which we won't. It's gonna be fun! Ron and Hermione are visiting the Shrieking Shack, don't you want to see it too?" She chuckled into her hand and shook her head.

"Not really. Besides, I promised Luna to spend the afternoon with her. You could, for once, follow the rules and stay here too. Didn't you want to talk to Professor Lupin again?" Harry pouted, making her laugh.

"Being good is no fun… and Lupin is sick again. Well, I'm going to go anyways; your fault if you miss out on something cool…"

“That's a risk I'm willing to take.” Elsa rolled her eyes. “Be careful. I don't want Sirius Black or another dementor to attack you.”

“I'm not afraid of Sirius Black.” Harry looked down at the invisibility cloak in his hands. “And Lupin promised to show me how to fend the dementors off after Christmas break.”

Lupin had been absent for their last DADA class, according to Snape he was sick.

It hadn't escaped Elsa's notice that Snape didn't quite like Lupin, and there had to be a reason their Potions teacher had chosen the topic of werewolves especially, even though they wouldn't get to that until later in the year.

Elsa pursed her lips. “But you don't know how to fend them off _now_. So can you just promise me to be careful for once?”

“Fine. You know, you should probably learn it too.”

“I should?”

“Don't play dumb with me.” Harry rolled his eyes. “I was there in the train. And Lupin said it could be you're susceptible too, since a dementor singled you out to attack during the game...”

Surprised, Elsa crossed her arms. This was starting to get out of hand. It was one thing if the teachers were talking about her among themselves, but why would they inform Harry, too?

“It didn't attack me specifically.” She denied after a few moments of silence.

“Lupin would have a reason to assume it.”

“You should leave now if you want to catch up with the others.” Elsa changed the topic, hunching up her shoulders slightly.

She was seriously not discussing this with Harry.

Sure, he'd feel better to know he wasn't the only target of the dementors, but she didn't want any more people to pay attention to her when she reacted so unusually to them.

Elsa waved after him when Harry hurried off to catch up with their classmates, a thoughtful expression on her face.

She really needed to distract herself from these worrisome thoughts.

In the Ravenclaw common room she got comfortable in front of the fireplace, trying to read more about the fine laws of exposing magic to muggles.

With most of her classmates gone, she could enjoy the peace and quiet for a while.

About two sentences in, she was disturbed again by Luna sitting down next to her.

“Can I ask you something?”

Elsa looked up at her with a raised eyebrow at the dejected tone.

“Yes?”

Luna played with the hem of her woolen pullover. “Ginny and I were talking about elementals again... and she said she didn't even really believe in them.”

“And that bothers you?” Elsa wondered. She had thought Luna didn't care too much about other people's opinion.

“She confessed that she's been humoring me because she wanted to befriend me, so I wouldn't feel like an outcast.” Luna shrugged helplessly. “Were you doing that too?”

Elsa closed the book and turned to face her properly.

“I really do believe in elementals. And the Spirits.”

“Even though there's no proof of their existence?” The younger blonde sounded so disappointed it clenched Elsa's heart.

Her lips moved without her brain's permission.

“... What if I told you there is proof?”

Luna frowned and leaned back in her seat. “You don't have to make fun of me.”

Elsa bit her lip. Could it really be so bad to tell Luna? She trusted her to keep it a secret, and Luna had told her so much about herself already.

“I'm not. Look, you have to swear you won't tell anyone.”

Curiosity sparked in Luna's grayish-blue eyes. “I can keep a secret.”

Looking around, Elsa grabbed her book and pushed it into her bag before standing up.

“Not here. Grab your cloak and follow me.”

“Where are we going?” Luna asked a few minutes later as she followed Elsa outside.

It had finally stopped snowing. Though Elsa would've preferred a little more of it, if only to shield her doing from view.

She was taking a big risk, but she felt that if she didn't tell anyone she might burst with the heaviness of it. It wasn't like she'd tell her everything, that was her burden to carry. Alone.

“There.” Elsa headed for a few boulders close to the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

The rocks would pose as a hiding space just fine, in case there were nosy professors watching from the windows.

After the talk with Professor Vector at the beginning of the year she was sure they were keeping a close eye on her. Especially since there were suspicions about her encounter with the dementor already.

The two girls knelt in the snow behind the boulders. After making sure there was no one around, Elsa cast the Muffliato charm to have extra protection.

They wouldn't officially learn it until their fifth year, but she had stumbled across it when she had been looking for something else and found it to be a useful charm for occasions like these.

“Alright, you know the story of Isabelle Flocon and the Spirit of Winter.” Elsa started, heart pounding. This was the first time she was openly talking about it.

She waited for Luna's nod to continue.

“Last summer I found out that... that I'm their child.”

Luna's eyes were wide as she blinked. “This... this isn't possible. The Spirits live in their own realm...”

“I have no idea what happened, but I found out that Isabelle was on the run and left me with... with strangers because I was in danger. I think Winter believes we're both dead...”

The younger put her gloved hands over her mouth. “That would explain the global snow storm back then!”

Elsa nodded, gnawing on her bottom lip. “I was born on winter solstice in 1979, so I was a little over one year old when the storm happened in March 1981. It would fit.”

“But what would Isabelle have run from?”

It felt so _good_ to have someone to talk to about this topic, Elsa thought.

“I have no idea. All I know is that she thought I'd be safer without her...”

“This is... just wow. I mean, you're probably the only half-spirit in existence! Especially with one half a witch!”

Elsa rubbed her hands over her face. “Believe me, I know. That's why you can't tell anyone. I have no idea what Isabelle has been fleeing from, but it could be it was after me too.”

“Or _who_ she's been running from.”

The older girl sighed and nodded again.

“I'm a little surprised at how you're just believing me without any proof.”

Luna tilted her head. “I don't think you would lie to me.”

“I wouldn't. Especially not about something like this.”

“Wait, so when Dumbledore talked about using ice charms last year at the feast...”

“... It wasn't really ice _charms_.” Elsa finished for her, hunching up her shoulders with a smile.

“I've always had powers over ice and snow, that's how I've made the connection.” She admitted. “Look.”

Concentrating, Elsa created a sparkling butterfly figurine in her hands, giggling at Luna's amazed expression.

“It's gorgeous!”

“Thanks. I haven't practiced in ages, but-”

“And it's even moving! How did you manage that?”

Elsa blinked, looking down in confusion. Indeed, the crystal clear delicate wings were moving slightly.

"I… It shouldn't be moving! I'm not doing anything!" She exclaimed and let the sculpture fall in surprise… only it didn't fall. It moved its wings and flew away, towards the Forbidden Forest.

Elsa stared at her own hands in disbelief.

"You've never done this before?"

"I've made ice sculptures before, but they never became alive… I… I don't understand."

"Try again." Luna encouraged her.

Elsa gulped and created another butterfly. Just like the first time, it moved its wings and flew away.

Shaking her head, she tried again and made a rabbit instead. It became alive and hopped away.

"This is awesome!" Luna exclaimed giddily.

Elsa shook her head. "No… I mean, it is… but why do they become alive? I'm not using any charm."

"Well… maybe these ice powers get stronger as you grow older?"

Shrugging, Elsa frowned down at her hands again. It was the only plausible explanation, wasn't it?

Back in her room in Arendelle they've never become alive. And suddenly she was able to create life. Could be it had to do with her witch side, too.

Suddenly a thought struck her.

"Oh my… We have to find the rabbit! If someone sees it they'll get suspicious!"

The two girls followed the trail the rabbit had left in the snow along the Forbidden Forest.

“I think it's heading for the castle...” Luna worried. “There!”

“For being alive for barely two minutes he came pretty far.” Elsa mumbled under her breath, pulling out her wand to petrify the rabbit.

Luna picked it up and examined it. “What are we supposed to do with it now?”

“I guess I could thaw it, but...”

“Wouldn't that be like killing it?”

Elsa nodded, eyeing the rabbit thoughtfully. Maybe they could hide it somewhere?

The stunning charm was wearing off slowly, the snow animal's legs moving again.

“Elsa!”

Both of them jumped when Elsa's name was being called from the distance.

Draco was making his way towards them.

Luna did the first thing that came to her mind and simply set the rabbit down, giving it a gentle but insistent push towards the forest.

The Ravenclaws quickly turned around and stood shoulder to shoulder to hide the rabbit's flight into the woods, trying an innocent grin when Draco reached them.

He raised an eyebrow at their behavior. “What's up with you two?”

“Nothing at all. Just enjoying the weather.”

Draco gave Elsa a look. “That close to the Forbidden Forest. Sure.”

Luna shook her head with a smile. “Well, we gave up searching for Heliopaths and no we're on Dabberblimp hunt.” She explained happily.

Elsa nodded in agreement, despite having no idea whatever a Dabberblimp was.

The Slytherin practically burned to say something to that, but eventually decided against it.

"Alright, I guess. Anyways, I was looking for you." He said to Elsa.

"Well, here I am." Elsa laughed and turned him around, walking with him to the direction of the castle.

Luna was on her other side, the two of them exchanging a secretive look.

"You two are acting really strange…" Draco noted and stopped walking as they reached the stone benches.

He folded his arms in front of his chest and fixated them with a stern gaze.

Luna excused herself quickly, smiling to herself and waving. Elsa felt a little betrayed at that, after all _she_ couldn't just walk away from an explanation.

“I have no idea what you're talking about.”

“Of course you don't.” Draco rolled his eyes. “Whatever it is you're _not doing_ , it's better than getting in trouble with Potter. Again.”

Elsa couldn't help but tease. “You're just scared I'm gonna get enough housepoints to win the cup, like last year.”

“ _That_ was unfair and you know it.”

“You're a sore loser, Malfoy.”

“I just like winning.”

Elsa laughed. “Absolutely.”

She looked up when it started to snow again. Having told Luna about her big secret was making her feel a ton lighter already.

While it wasn't a solution to her problems at all, it was helping her mental state a lot.

“You're utterly irresponsible, you know that?”

Frowning, Elsa faced Draco in time to see him take off his green and silver scarf to wrap it around her neck instead.

“What are you-”

“You're going to catch a cold one of these days. Seriously, how you haven't frozen to death yet is a miracle.”

Amused, Elsa hid her smile at Draco's scowl in the scarf.

“I'm not as sensitive as you. Let's just go inside before _you_ catch a cold.”

“Don't turn this on me now, Winters.”

“Didn't you say you were looking for me?”

“Oh, yes.” It was funny, she mused, to see him go from annoyed to embarrassed within a second.

His cheeks grew a little pinker as his gloved hand flew to the back of his neck again, telling of his nervousness.

“Well, my father kind of told my mother about our friendship and all... and she kinda insists that you come over so she can meet you too.”

Immediately Elsa began worrying that he might've told his parents about her royal status. She wanted to scold herself for even thinking this.

“Your parents really are a little overly protective, aren't they?” She really shouldn't be surprised, where else would he'd have gotten that trait from?

“Mother is just nosy.” He assured her. “And when I told her you were an orphan she kept bugging me to invite you over for Christmas.”

“You told her my cover story?”

“Yes. You said not to tell anyone, so I thought you'd approve?”

Elsa smiled. “I do. I guess I could join you for Christmas. Ron said he was staying here with Hermione and Harry. So why not?”

Draco's face lit up with a grin. “Fantastic. She's gonna go crazy to finally meet you.”

“I can't wait either.”

**xxx**

“You're doing _what_?!” 

“Spending Christmas at Draco's.” Elsa repeated calmly, opposed to Ron's freak-out.

They were having dinner, Luna and Elsa sitting at the Gryffindor table.

“You can't be serious.” Ron shook his head.

“Why not? He hasn't done anything to you, has he?” Elsa felt the need to defend Draco. The blond had behaved really well the whole time.

“Oh please, this could all be an act. He could be waiting for the right time and then _bam_!” 

“ _You_ could be just a giant blob-head.” Ginny said dryly, glaring at her brother. 

“Not you too. My own family is turning against me.”

Hermione shrugged. “He  _ did _ save Harry during the game.” 

“Simple tactics. Enemies closer, y'know?”

“You could try to get to know him better.” Luna offered, still in an exceptionally good mood.

“I think I know him well enough. He called us mean names, and suddenly he's _that_ nice? I'm not buying it.” Ron gestured at them, except for Harry. 

“You girls are just losing your head over him because you think he's good-looking.”

Elsa inwardly sighed as they discussed back and forth. At least Harry kept out of the conversation instead of fueling Ron's tirades.

She looked up at the dark ceiling that was so beautiful with the thick white snowflakes dancing. Her heart started to feel heavy again as her thoughts began to drift back to the dark place that was her future, and the red rage that burned when she thought of her foster parents.

“I'm going to bed.” She muttered under her breath before getting up.

Distraction is the key, Elsa chanted to herself as she made her way to the Ravenclaw common room.

She tried to recall everything she already read about magical contracts, counted off the correct order of how to greet royal guests at a festivity, went over the star positions she already knew of and thought about the Ancient Runes she already learned.

She needed to stay busy, she decided, and pulled out another thick book about examples of trials concerning binding contracts.

At least she'd have proper distraction when she was at Malfoy Manor.

**xxx**

It felt strange. Her first birthday after finding out the truth.

Elsa absentmindedly stirred her cup of hot chocolate at breakfast, trying to read, but failing miserably.

At least she didn't have to worry about seeing the king and queen over christmas.

Was it even really her birthday? Or was that just made up from her foster parents?

One way or the other, it wasn't important to her. At all.

She wondered, like many times before, what had happened to her real mother, to Isabelle.

Had whatever chasing was her gotten a hold of her? And why didn't the Spirit of Winter help her if she's been in danger?

It made her a weird mix between angry and sad. Sure, she was her real mother, but she didn't even _know_ her. Because she's just been given away.

Tapping her fingers on the tabletop, she sighed in frustration. Distracting herself was clashing harshly with her burning curiosity.

Despite studying everything she could, it still felt as if she was going nowhere.

Maybe she could join the others in Hogsmeade the next time, to see if she can buy books about learning french. It would certainly get her closer to her mother, she mused.

She could try to find out more about her by finding her family, her real grandparents, perhaps.

For now, she had to make do with what she had.

Their first class that day was Herbology, so they'd be outside anyways. And since Elsa was one of the first students at breakfast, she had lots of time left.

Elsa downed her cup of hot chocolate and hurried out of the Great Hall. She passed a few other early birds on her way outside.

Hagrid was just feeding the hippogriffs when Elsa arrived at the fenced area.

He greeted her by waving a bloody ferret.

Grimacing, she waved back before walking over to where Buckbeak was immediately standing at attention, cawing happily at seeing her.

“Good morning to you too.” She mumbled with a genuine smile, delighted by the hippogriff's cuddly side.

“You're looking good today.”

The dementors were visible in the distance but didn't dare come closer to Hogwarts, which Elsa was grateful for.

They still gave her shivers, especially since they seemed to like her as a target.

Buckbeak flapped his wings when Hagrid came over to stand next to them.

“They should see you interact with him before making their choice.” The half-giant shook his bushy head.

Elsa frowned up at him. “They? What do you mean?”

“Oh, I shouldn't have said anything. No one's supposed to know...” Hagrid appeared quite worried.

“What is it?” Elsa insisted, dread balling in her stomach.

“... Mr. Parkinson made an official complaint to the school board because Buckbeak attacked Pansy...”

“A complaint? But they already decided that you-”

“It's not about me.” Hagrid sniffed slightly. “Parkinson wants a harsh punishment for Buckbeak, says he's a hazard. Dumbledore at least was able to get him a fair hearing in April.”

The heavy ball of dread and worry only grew at the news.

“B-But why now? The incident was months ago!”

Hagrid shrugged helplessly, patting Buckbeak's flank. “No idea... The complaint has been given a few weeks ago, according to Dumbledore.”

Elsa hid her face in Buckbeak's feathery neck, swallowing down the sudden sadness that threatened to swallow her.

That must be Pansy's revenge. Draco stepped up for Elsa, so Pansy decided to hurt her on a different level.

“There isn't anything Dumbledore can do for him at the moment, and if the hearing goes bad, it could be he's gonna be terminated...”

“T-Terminated...?”

Hagrid nodded and wiped at his tearing eyes. “If the ministry decides he's too dangerous they'll get rid of him. Poor thing, until the hearing he has to be separated from the others.”

The Ravenclaw looked at Buckbeak, her own eyes filling with tears. They couldn't just kill him. It wasn't his fault Pansy was insufferable.

“What the- Stand back!” Hagrid hollered, startling Elsa.

One of the dementors had come closer, now levitating just above the fence that touched the forest, facing her.

Breath quickening, Elsa took a step back.

Buckbeak cawed and came to stand in front of her, clawing in the direction of the dementor.

Hagrid had trouble holding the hippogriff back from charging at the dark figure.

From somewhere behind them, a white light emerged and chased the dementor away.

Lupin arrived by their side, out of breath and exhausted, and put his wand away again.

“This can't be, Remus! I thought Dumbledore took care of them!”

The DADA professor pushed his tousled hair out of his face. “They're drawn in, and are out of control. There isn't much more he can do.”

“They're completely useless anyways!”

Elsa was busy patting Buckbeak, trying not to show her panic. And again she's become a target.

What a nice birthday.

“Why aren't you at breakfast?”

Elsa faced Lupin once she had her expression under control again.

“I ate before coming out here.” She defended herself, as weird as it was she even _had_ _to_ defend herself.

Hagrid put his gigantic hand on Elsa's back. “Beaky and her are the bestest of friends. She's visiting almost daily.”

Lupin crossed his arms. “Don't you usually do that before dinner?”

Biting the inside of her cheek, Elsa raised an eyebrow. As suspected, the professors were keeping an eye on her.

“Since I'll be gone over Christmas break I thought I'd visit him more often.”

The professor sighed, clearly worn. “Alright, but now I want you to come with me. Classes will start soon.”

Elsa pushed her forehead to the hippogriff's beak as a goodbye before following Lupin back towards the castle.

“Elsa, I don't know if Harry told you, but I'm going to show him how to get rid of the dementors.”

Looking down at the thick snow they were walking through, the blonde nodded.

“He mentioned it, yes.”

“Given the situation, I think it would be good if you joined us the next term. It wouldn't hurt to be prepared, in case there isn't a professor around to help you next time.”

“Hm. I've been lucky so far. There's _always_ been a teacher around.”

Lupin cleared his throat, noting the knowing tone. “You can't expect us to ignore it.”

“Just because I'm a princess I don't need a special treatment.” Elsa watched him sideways.

“I'll have you know that your royal status not the reason. You and Harry are especially interesting to them, enough for them to disregard their restrictions. Harry gets the same attention.”

Inwardly, Elsa rolled her eyes. Yes, so much attention that he could sneak off to Hogsmeade right under their noses.

“If you think that's the right way to handle things, I guess I'll have to accept it.”

“I think if you learned how to defend yourself against them these safety precautions wouldn't be necessary.”

“I'll think about it.”

* * *


	14. Chapter 14

* * *

Elsa found she had disregarded one aspect when she agreed to spend the holidays at Malfoy Manor: Lucius Malfoy.

Her mood had been quite down since her birthday, the thought that Pansy would go that far just to make her suffer was pulling her into darker places.

Now, while Lucius was surprisingly accepting of her, he was still an intimidating man.

She followed him as they made their way to Hogsmeade, Draco next to her.

The Slytherin's mood had dampened when he noticed Elsa's sad state on her birthday, especially when she wouldn't really talk about what's bothering her.

However, he knew they'd be together for two weeks now. He would show her she could open up to him then.

The two teens took a hold of Lucius' arms and felt the pull of an apparition.

To Elsa, it felt horrible. She was scared of being ripped apart, apparently a real danger. She was glad Luna had volunteered to take care of Marshmallow while she was gone, she definitely didn't want the poor cat to go through this again.

A second later they were standing at a black iron gate. The matching fence surrounded a rather spacious garden and a mansion on a hill.

The dark color scheme stood out against the gray sky and white snow, the gravelly path also covered in a thin layer.

“I still have something to take care of at the Ministry. I'll see you at dinner.”

With a _plop_ , the man was gone again.

Draco's shoulders relaxed before he opened the gate and led Elsa inside. He held out his arm, waiting for Elsa to take it. Together they made their way to the mansion.

Inside, a woman in her forties was awaiting them.

Her composure was flawless and she was dressed in a fine dark green gown that reached the floor.

If it wasn't for the slight air of arrogance clinging to her, she would've appeared like a royal, Elsa noted.

However, she hugged an embarrassed Draco to her chest and patted his cheek with a fond smile, showing of her love for him.

Elsa subconsciously dropped a tiny curtsy when she faced her.

“It's a pleasure meeting you, Mrs. Malfoy.”

“Oh my, aren't you precious?” Narcissa Malfoy tilted Elsa's head up.

From her peripheral vision, Elsa saw Draco facepalm and turn away.

“And so pretty! No wonder, though, Draco always had a-”

“Mother.” The boy in question interrupted, ears pink. “We _just_ arrived.”

“Of course. Why don't I show you to your room, and then we can have tea in our sitting room.”

“I'll show her to her room, thanks mother.” Draco put his arm around Elsa's shoulders to guide her up the stairs.

The Ravenclaw smiled at him. “She's nice.”

“Don't be fooled. She's nosy.”

“I think I can handle her.”

As it turned out, she did. Narcissa was quite pleased by Elsa, the two of them talking about various things.

The princess found out where Draco got his interest in the stars from, for example.

While Lucius was keeping his attitude up and trying to get more information out of her, he was visibly approving of her.

Draco appeared rather happy about that.

The day before Christmas, Narcissa and Draco insisted on going out for shopping.

Elsa tried to tell them not to, but of course they wouldn't listen. She had no idea what to get _them_ , though she's been assured she didn't have to.

So that special afternoon Elsa got comfortable in the manor's library in front of the fireplace.

She had found a book about examples of breaking magical contracts and such, which could help her a great deal.

She's just finished a case where a witch had been sentenced to death because she refused to follow through with a contract that's been made ten years prior.

So if she refused to marry the prince, she'd be sentenced to death too?

“Heavy reading material for a teenager, isn't it?”

Elsa looked up when Lucius entered the library with a glass of red wine and sat down on the other armchair.

“It's quite interesting, actually.” She said carefully. “I'm considering a career as a magical lawyer.”

“A girl that has plans for her life. How commendable.”

Lucius observed her over his glass, while Elsa tried to act normal so she wouldn't give anything away.

“I try to gather as much knowledge as possible about a topic before I make a decision.”

“Mhm. That's a wise stance.” He relaxed back in the cushions, staring at the fire. “If you have any questions, ask away. I have quite the knowledge when it comes to these cases.”

Elsa noted how he seemed rather weary, as if something was weighing his mind down too, and wondered if she looked the same.

“Actually, I already have a question.” She marked the page she's been on and turned to face Lucius fully.

“The cases described in here all feature contracts and vows done between two magical beings. What about those, say, a wizard has done with a muggle?”

The silver eyes narrowed slightly at that.

“Why are you asking?”

“Like I said, it's interesting.”

“Well, an Unbreakable Vow for example can't be done with a muggle. A magical binding contract is possible, on the other hand.”

He swirled the wine.

“The lines here are quite blurry and have to be decided case by case. In our Ministry it's forbidden to make such contracts with muggles, I'm not sure about other countries, though.”

Elsa hummed thoughtfully. It could very well be that it's not illegal in the evil king's country. Or if they even had a ministry.

“There are also specific rules about exposing our magic to muggles, those rules are rather global. Depends on the contract.”

That was giving her a push into a completely different direction. It wouldn't do her any good to learn all about the _British_ magical laws if they didn't count for the other king.

“So if someone exposed magic to a muggle, there's a chance one could nullify the contract?”

“Only if the muggle didn't know anything about magic when signing. But again, it depends on the contract and the area.”

“Hm. That's indeed heavy material.”

“If you have the contract, it's easier.” Lucius waved off. “However, you won't need this since it's forbidden here anyways. Or did you intend to move somewhere else once you've graduated?”

Noting the meaning behind the seemingly innocent question, Elsa forced herself to appear nonchalant.

“I haven't decided yet. I still have a few years left, after all.”

“Indeed.”

Trying to block out his presence then, Elsa continued to read through the cases.

**xxx**

Christmas at Malfoy Manor was a rather calm matter. Lucius was sitting in an armchair, appearing rather relaxed after two glasses of sparkling wine.

Narcissa was sitting on the other, babbling on about her own time at school.

To Elsa, it felt a little weird, since this wasn't _her_ family. The past two years she had spent Christmas at Hogwarts, and the years from the incident on were basically spent in her room.

However, Draco seemed happy, and that gave her a good feeling too. It was snowing heavily, the thick flakes basically calling out to her. Maybe she could talk Draco into going outside with her later.

“Come on, this one's for you.”

Elsa blinked herself out of her reverie and took the offered present. She smiled gratefully and carefully opened the wrapping.

Narcissa grinned in anticipation, talking before she was even done with the unwrapping.

“When Draco told us you're living in an orphanage I just couldn't resist getting you this.”

Curious, Elsa opened the box to reveal a deep blue dress. The sleeves were slightly puffed out, as she's seen in one of Mrs. Weasley's latest magazines. It reached down to the floor, flowing silkily if the fabric was anything to go by.

A ballgown, just like the hundred others she had at home in Arendelle. But of course she couldn't tell that to them.

So she smiled widely. “It's beautiful, thank you so much.”

“Aw, it's nothing, really. Now you can feel like a princess!”

Draco opened one of his presents to hide his face, as to not give anything away. They meant so well.

“That was very thoughtful of you. I really like it.”

“You could wear it to Yule Ball next year, it's definitely an eye catcher. Though, if it comes out of fashion we could-”

“Narcissa, darling, this is supposed to be a secret.” Lucius gently scolded her, though he appeared amused.

“Oh my, of course. Anyhow, it's out.”

“What's Yule Ball?” Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.

“There's a tournament, a contest, between Europe's three largest boarding schools. It has been forbidden in 1792 because of a high death rate, but they plan to host it again next year with new restrictions. And Hogwarts has been chosen as the host.” Lucius explained.

“And it's tradition to hold the so called Yule Ball in December!” Narcissa smiled. “It's _the_ chance for young girls to feel like royals for once in their life.”

To Elsa, that didn't sound too appealing. Most had no idea what it meant to be a princess at all.

Narcissa babbled on. “Oh, you'll look stunning. We have to get you some more jewelry, maybe a diadem, and gloves. All princesses need fancy gloves.”

“Actually, only princesses who married into the royal status wear gloves. Those born into it don't.” Elsa explained without thinking.

“Really now? How do you know?”

“Oh, um. Like every small girl I was obsessed with princesses back then. I guess it stuck.”

Draco grabbed a smaller present and pushed it at Elsa. “Talking about jewelry, here's another present for you.”

Glad for the distraction, Elsa opened it to find a silver charm bracelet. It matched her necklace, already having a snowflake, a star and a small silver hippogriff as pendants.

A smile appeared on her face as she observed it. “It's wonderful.”

“The snowflake is for your love of winter, the star for Astronomy and I think the hippogriff is obvious. I wanted to get one for sewing, but I didn't find anything fitting...”

“It's perfect, and really thoughtful. Thank you.”

Later that day, Elsa had persuaded Draco to go outside with her. There was a lake close-by, frozen over completely.

Elsa glided over it with a giggle as she watched Draco struggle to even stand on the ice.

“Why are we doing this again?”

“Because it's fun.”

“It's dangerous.”

Rolling her eyes, Elsa took his gloved hands and pulled him along slowly.

“The ice is thick enough, and if you're careful you won't fall.”

Draco frowned down at his feet as he let himself be pulled over the ice.

“You know I'm only doing this because it's good to see you laugh for real again.”

“Don't be so melodramatic, Malfoy.”

“You were happier, and since your birthday you're all sad again. Of course I worry.”

Elsa sighed. “It's about Buckbeak.”

“The hippogriff?”

“Yes. Pansy's father complained to the school board, he's to get a hearing... it could be they're gonna execute him...”

Draco almost fell on his backside with how fast he looked up then.

“What the heck?”

“I think she's mad because you stepped up for me when she pranked me... and since she can't hurt me directly...” Elsa shrugged, not finishing the sentence.

“...” Draco's silence was unnerving.

“I don't know if I can help him somehow.”

“This time she went too far.”

Elsa stopped sliding backwards so they came to a stop. “Don't do anything stupid. You freaking out on her made her madder, I don't want to know what the next level is.”

“I won't just let her get away with this.”

“I don't think there's anything we can do except await the hearing. Maybe I can testify that Buckbeak isn't dangerous if treated with respect... He even protected me from a dementor.”

Draco ground his teeth, jaw working. “You've been attacked again?”

“Would you just...” she threw her arms up in exasperation, “... just give it a rest for once? I appreciate the concern, but this over-protectiveness has to stop.”

“I'm tired of having to say this over and over again, Elsa. I will not stand back when you're in danger.”

Also sick of the topic, Elsa rubbed her temples. “I'm not-”

“Do you have any idea what you looked like at the beginning of the year?” He asked.

“How utterly exhausted and depressed you appeared? The first thing I heard was that a dementor had attacked you and Potter. Now you've been overworking yourself for months and there were two more attacks. You don't _need_ a person to make your life worse.”

The Ravenclaw didn't quite know what to say to that. She was used to having her privacy concerning her feelings. Now suddenly everyone was trying to get involved.

“I'm not the only person having personal problems.”

“No, but you're the only person I care about.”

Elsa gave him a helpless look. She didn't know what to do with that kind of attention. So distraction was her way of dealing.

“Confronting Pansy again won't make the problem with Buckbeak disappear.”

“Her father is a wuss. I'll talk to mine, he can try to pull a few strings.”

The rest of the holidays had passed rather quickly then. By the end of it, Draco was able to glide around the ice without help.

It had taken some dweedling from Narcissa, but Lucius had agreed to talk to Mr. Parkinson and the school board, to see if he could help with the hippogriff case.

Back in Hogwarts, Elsa was surprised to see Hermione sitting all by herself at the breakfast table.

As usual nowadays, there was a stack of books next to her, hiding her exhausted form from view.

Elsa distinctly wondered if she looked like that to others. Worn and tired, obsessively studying a million things.

While Hermione was having the added work for her extra classes, Elsa was burying herself in her queen training books and the law books.

Sitting down across from Hermione, Elsa poured herself a cup of milk.

“Good morning.” She greeted casually.

“Hey.” Hermione marked a spot in her Arithmancy book with a sticky note. “How were your holidays?” she asked distractedly.

“Quite alright. How were things here?”

The brunette glanced at Harry and Ron shortly, pressing her lips together.

“Not so good.”

Elsa frowned. “What happened?”

Hermione let out a sigh, appearing relieved actually that she had someone to talk to.

“Harry got a Firebolt for Christmas, but there's no clue who sent it.”

“Sounds fishy.”

“I know, right?!” Hermione shook her head, eyes wide. “I told McGonagall, who took it from him to have it tested for any jinxes or anything.”

“That would be the best, in case Sirius Black sent it.” Elsa noted.

Feeling understood, Hermione nodded vigorously. “Exactly. But Harry and Ron are totally mad at me for it. And Ron also keeps insisting Crookshanks is attacking Scabbers.”

With a raised eyebrow, Elsa looked to where her Gryffindor friends were sitting and chatting about something.

“Crookshanks is a cat. Chasing rats is what they do.” Marshmallow wasn't interested in Scabbers as far as she knew. No, her cat was preferring birds.

“Tell that to Ron's thick head.” She sighed and grabbed a Rune dictionary. “I don't have time for this. There's still so much I need to do, I haven't even started with our Ancient Runes homework yet.”

“We can do it together, if you want. And I'm not completely done with Arithmancy yet, either.”

“Uhm... I think I have time right after classes today. Or during lunch, that would be better.”

“That's fine. I'm not really hungry lately. Let's meet in the library then.”

Hermione smiled tiredly. “Oh, do you think you could take a look at my Transfiguration essay, I'm sure _something's_ wrong with it, but I can't figure out what. I believe I'm starting to mix things up...”

“Sure.” Elsa took the offered roll of parchment and opened it. “You know, maybe dropping one or two of your electives wouldn't hurt.”

“I couldn't do that. I can manage.”

“I thought you don't even like Divination, for example. And you grew up with muggles, so why study them?”

“You don't understand, Elsa. If I drop a class, it would be like failure. I _can't_ fail.”

Elsa bit her lip. Somehow she could even understand her. Her own reasons for stress were not as easily put away, couldn't be solved by just dropping one of them.

However, Mr. Malfoy had unknowingly pointed out a flaw to her. That there were different laws in different countries. So studying the British magical laws was not giving her a solution at all.

She'd need to find out the responsible Ministry and study _that_ law, hoping it would be available in English.

That given, she'd need to get a hold of that contract so she'd know the technicalities of it.

So until she figured out a way to get the contract, there wasn't much she could do to for _that_ matter.

Though, she could use the books she had to maybe find a way to help Hagrid with Buckbeak's case.

Jaw set, Elsa concentrated on proof-reading Hermione's essay.

**xxx**

Harry and Ron had a completely different view on the Firebolt matter. Elsa was wisely staying out of this, not agreeing to anything.

However, the other piece of information she heard was making her listen up.

Apparently Harry had overheard a conversation between Hagrid, Flitwick, McGonagall and the minister.

Sirius Black had been a good friend of his father, and betrayed them. He was the reason Harry's parents were dead.

It was giving the Gryffindor a harsh view on the criminal, way more than before.

“I asked Lupin about the dementor lessons today.” He stated out of the blue one evening.

“So?” Elsa magically highlighted a passage in her current book.

“He said you'd join in?”

“I said I would think about it.”

“Come on, it won't hurt to be prepared.”

Elsa rubbed her temples and gave a suffering sigh. “I don't have _time_ for this.”

“If I can find time between all the quidditch practice, you can take one hour per week too.”

“Fine. When do you intend to start?”

Harry smiled at his persuasion skills. “Thursday, eight o'clock.”

“Great.”

The special lesson turned out to be quite useless in Elsa's eyes. At least for her.

Lupin had managed to find another boggart. It would take the appearance of a dementor when faced with Harry, so they could try to fend of _that_.

They couldn't just take a real dementor, after all.

“But it won't become a dementor for me, Sir.”

“As long as Harry stays in the front, it should work. We just need it as a practice dummy.”

He explained that they needed to think about a single happy memory, and hold onto it while casting a spell; _Expecto Patronum_.

It would summon the silvery white light they've seen a few times already, sometimes even taking a corporal form.

It would be a direct counter to the dementor's happiness-sucking existence.

Elsa couldn't even express how useless she thought it was for her. Those things didn't really affect her, she hasn't fainted once.

Still, if she learned how to ward them off, it would get the teachers off her case, and a certain over-protective Slytherin. That would be worth the added stress.

The problem was that she couldn't find a happy memory in her mind. Each she found had turned out to have a downside.

Her playing with Anna back then just reminded her that she wasn't her real sister and how she was basically an orphan because her real parents didn't want her.

Finding out there were others like her for real ended up being spoiled because she had to hide her ice powers and lie about herself from the beginning.

The familiar connection she had felt when meeting Buckbeak for the first time brought the dread for his trial back.

However, she had to try at least.

There was a silvery wisp coming from her wand, but not really enough to actually fend off the dementor copy.

While Harry had the same result, he appeared quite shaky on his legs and had to sit down.

Lupin handed them both pieces of chocolate.

“That was astoundingly good for the first try!” He praised.

Elsa had to admit, the spell was taking a lot of effort and concentration. A quite advanced spell.

Even so, she didn't have the added weariness from meeting the dementor that Harry seemed to suffer from.

“Maybe try a stronger, happier memory.”

Harry was eager to try again, while Elsa was keeping a low profile. A happy memory. Happy.

When was the last time she really laughed, totally carefree? It seemed like ages.

When Lupin let the boggart out again, Elsa closed her eyes and concentrated on her first winter at Hogwarts.

The snowball fight with her first real friends. The way Draco had laughed when she playfully hit him with snowballs before he left for Christmas break.

She heard the cabinet close again and a lock being put in place. When she opened her eyes, Harry was sitting on the ground next to her, his green eyes wide as he stared at her.

Lupin was clapping and shaking his head. “Marvelous. I haven't seen anyone learning the Patronus as fast as you. Some never manage.”

“... I did?”

“It was a blindingly white light! Just like that!” Harry scrambled to his feet. “How did you manage to overcome the sadness they give you?”

With both Lupin and Harry staring at her, waiting for an answer, Elsa felt herself shrinking.

Of course it would be easier for her, without the happiness being drained from her. She didn't have to fight _that_.

“I... I'm not sure. I was just thinking happy thoughts.”

“The spell is highly advanced...”

“That isn't surprising, really.” Harry said, unknowingly helping her out. “She's always been pretty far ahead when it comes to things like these.”

Lupin scratched at a scar on the side of his face. “I've heard about it, yes...”

Feeling drained, Elsa stood straighter. “Well, since I now know how to defend myself if necessary, could I leave? I still have homework to do.”

Harry was becoming obsessed with it, then. He was frustrated, since it had been so easy for Elsa, while he was still struggling.

Between his quidditch practice and the rest of homework, he found less time to antagonize Hermione.

Especially when he got back his broom, finding it completely fine and jinx-free.

Ron on the other hand, was mad beyond himself.

Elsa didn't know what happened in their common room, but apparently Ron accused Crookshanks of eating Scabbers, which caused the rift between them to broaden.

Since the two boys were there for each other, Elsa tried to be a good friend to Hermione.

They were doing some of their homework together and even tried to find ways to help Buckbeak with his trial.

Draco informed them that Mr. Parkinson was rather stubborn, according to his father.

He was giving Pansy the cold shoulder, avoiding her like she was diseased, which only fueled the girl's anger.

He himself was quite busy with quidditch training, with the game between Ravenclaw and Slytherin up and the news of Harry's new broom giving them enough reason to fear their chance for the cup later on.

“You're gonna come watch the game, aren't you?”

Elsa blinked at him blankly. “Huh?”

“... You can't have forgotten today's game!”

“Oh... I think Cho mentioned it...” She shrugged. “Sorry, I've had a lot on my mind.”

Elsa ignored his frown directed at her then. “You're in an exceptionally good mood lately.”

A grin found its way on the Slytherin's face. “You remember my friend in Durmstrang I told you about?”

“Uhm, Blaise, right?”

“Yeah. He's gonna transfer to Hogwarts next year.”

“That's great! Then you can fanboy about quidditch with him.” She teased.

Draco smiled and rubbed the back of his neck.

“So, you're coming to the game, right?”

“Sure she will. Can't miss our team wipe the pitch with yours.” Anthony sat down across from them.

“Why aren't you sitting with them on such a crucial day, Malfoy?”

“Not that it concerns you, Goldstein, but I'm having breakfast with my lucky charm here.”

Frowning, Elsa put down her book. “I'm your lucky charm?”

“She can't be your lucky charm, she's a Ravenclaw. She's on our side, right?”

“Oh please keep me out of this.” She shook her head and continued to read, ignoring the bickering of the two boys.

“Seriously though, Cho is gonna give ya a run for your money.”

“We'll see about that.”

It had been a close call in the end. Both Snape and Flitwick had been on edge, which was quite amusing to watch.

Elsa was glad when the game was finally over after a head-to-head race between Draco and Cho, the former only winning because of his speed advantage.

Becky was shouting profanities, while Michael and Anthony were close to tears. That was diminishing their chances of winning the quidditch cup this year.

“And Gryffindor is twenty points ahead of us for the house cup, Slytherin fifty! Without any of them messing up we don't stand a chance.” Becky lamented.

Rolling her eyes good-naturedly, Elsa followed them back to the castle.

She stopped when Draco held her back. He was still in his green uniform, grinning from ear to ear.

He pushed his bangs out of his face, eyes glinting with happiness.

“We won!”

“I noticed, yes.” She teased. “I'm really proud of you.”

“Did you see how I just zoomed past her?”

Elsa couldn't help but chuckle. “Yes. Though I'm sure you would've managed just as fine without me being there.”

“What's the point in showing off if you aren't there?” Draco fumbled with the friendship bracelet.

“You don't have to show off, you know?”

“Don't take the fun out of it.” he pouted.

“Well, you could just go and celebrate with your housemates instead.”

“Maybe I will.”

“You should.”

The both of them held up a staring contest, Draco pouting and Elsa amused.

“Congratulations!” Luna skipped over to them, ending their staring.

“Thanks.”

“But if Gryffindor beats us and Hufflepuff they could still get you.”

Draco scoffed. “I'm not too worried about that. Just because Potter has a Firebolt now he won't win against everyone.”

Standing in between was strange, Elsa mused while Luna and Draco talked.

Between the Ravenclaws and Slytherin, between Gryffindor and Slytherin, between Hermione and Ron... it was mentally exhausting.

**xxx**

To Elsa, Valentine's Day was a day like any other. Sure, the decorations were nice, way nicer than the previous year when Lockhart had gone crazy with it.

And of course way nicer without the horrible dwarves.

However, it turned out as a not so typical day when Ginny came to find her in the library and gave her a folded up piece of parchment.

“... What is this?”

Ginny grinned. “Open it!”

Curious, Elsa unfolded the parchment.

_Hello there, beautiful. Do you remember where we met for the first time?_

Raising an eyebrow, Elsa looked up at Ginny. The redhead rolled her eyes.

“It's not from me. Come on, go and solve the puzzle.”

The blonde rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I don't know, Ginny. I still have a whole chapter to read for History of Magic and an essay about-”

“No.”

“No?”

“You heard me.” Ginny resolutely took Elsa's book and her quill. “There's a lot of planning behind this. You'll get your things back once you're through with the scavenger hunt.”

Elsa sighed tiredly. She had no time for this. On the other hand, a little distraction couldn't hurt. And without her book she couldn't read anyway.

“Fine. Who's it from?”

“ _That_ you will have to figure out yourself, no hints.” Ginny stuck out her tongue and walked off with Elsa's supplies.

_Great_ , Elsa thought.

She eyed the note again. Beautiful. Nobody called her that. Well, except for Draco at the beginning of their first year.

Of course. They had first met on the stairs in front of the Great Hall.

Rearranging her updo so there were no lose strands, she got up to find her next clue.

By the stairs she observed the decorated railing, spotting a blue string among the pink and red ones. Another piece of parchment was attached to it.

“That was easy.” She mumbled, unfolding the note.

_That was easy, wasn't it? Don't worry; the next one is easy too. Almost everyone is afraid of this teacher…_

Elsa pursed her lips. The first coming to her mind was Snape. However, she couldn't imagine their Potions professor react too nicely if she came asking him for a silly note.

But Draco must know that too.

She sighed and wandered down to the dungeons, where Snape's office was located.

About to knock, she caught herself when she noticed parchment stuck in a tiny space between door and wall.

Relieved, she tugged it out and brought herself to a safe distance a few meters away.

_You thought I'd make you go in, didn't you? I may be mean, but not evil. The next one is hidden at your least favorite place here._

_ Elsa blinked. Her least favorite place? She didn't even have a least favorite place, she thought.  _

_ She disliked the dungeons because of the darkness, but that would be too big a place to search, and way too easy since she was already here.  _

_ The Potions classroom maybe... but it was locked, of course.  _

_ Biting her lip in thought, Elsa walked upstairs again. Her least favorite subjects were Potions and Herbology. The greenhouses, perhaps? _

_ Curiosity led her outside, but the greenhouses were closed up too. Draco surely wouldn't want her to break in, would he?  _

_ She walked around them, looking if she could find a clue or anything, but there was no parchment hidden.  _

_ By greenhouse number three something caught her eye. There were a few plants just outside of it, weed.  _

_ Between it was a single white rose. It was too cold for it to grow normally, and the earth beneath it looked freshly dug up.  _

_ The triumphant expression on her face faded when she realized she'd have to dig in the dirt for the note.  _

_ And of course she didn't just carry any gloves around with her.  _

_ She fiddled with the handle of her wand stored in her sleeve. She didn't know a digging spell.  _

_ Maybe she should just let it go? But she couldn't give up, her curiosity was pushing her to go on.  _

_ Sighing, she knelt down and moved the fresh earth away. At least she didn't have to dig deep to find the note.  _

_Heliopaths_

_ Elsa tilted her head. That wasn't much of a clue, was it? The only one talking about Heliopaths was Luna.  _

_ There was the urge to wash her hands, or should she find Luna first? She wanted to get through the scavenger hunt.  _

_ No, her hygiene was more important.  _

_ However, Luna was already waiting by the entrance for her, grinning just like Ginny had.  _

_“ You're in on this too?” _

_“ Isn't it exciting?” Luna was so happy, Elsa couldn't help but smile. _

_“ So you have the next clue for me?” _

_“ I do, and you'll like it. It's hidden in Myrtle's bathroom, so you can wash your hands.” _

_“ How thoughtful.” Elsa commented and hurried to Myrtle's bathroom. _

_ The ghost was giggling and floating around while she cleaned her hands, babbling about random things as to not tell the hiding spot.  _

_ Elsa folded her arms in front of her chest as she looked around the bathroom.  _

_ How did Draco come up with this hiding spot? Probably with Ginny's and Luna's help. _

_ She couldn't imagine Draco lingering around a girls' bathroom.  _

_“ Ooooh, cold, very cold. Freezing even.” _

_ Myrtle chuckled when Elsa observed the stall doors. Following the hints, the blonde concentrated on the sinks in the middle of the room.  _

_“ Sometimes things are hidden in plain sight!” The ghost exclaimed. _

_ Elsa could've slapped herself. Right in the corner of a mirror the note was taped to it. Was she blind? _

_ She took the parchment, smiling at the ghost's high-pitched giggle over her shoulder.  _

_ Excitement made her unfold it quickly.  _

_How long did it take you to find this one?_

_ Elsa rolled her eyes.  _

_I also had help with the next one, but it should be right up your expertise. One of your specialties could be of good use in your recent second home._

_ Recent second home? What was he on about now? And what specialty? _

_“ Hogwarts is my second home...” She thought out loud, glancing at Myrtle. _

_“ I am not allowed to drop hints.” Myrtle grinned. “But there is a place you spend a lot of time in I've heard.” _

_ Elsa frowned. Could be the Ravenclaw common room. But there were so many students, anyone could just find the note and take it away.  _

_ There was also the library, but she's been  _ _there_ _ the whole afternoon, she would've noticed anyone hiding a note. _

_“ Is it in the library or the common room?” _

_“ No hints!” Myrtle crossed her legs in the air, hovering over the sinks. “Though you should keep in mind that the library is accessible to all houses.” _

_ The hint was as good as any, so Elsa tore off towards the library.  _

_ When she found Flitwick there, painfully obviously trying to appear innocent, she knew she was at the right place.  _

_ If the note was hidden in one of the books, she'd search for a whole year. And Madam Pince would have her head.  _

_ Her specialty... hm. The library had no books about sewing, and she hasn't sown anything in ages. _

_ Maybe he was talking about ice spells? Dumbledore had widely announced it at last year's end-of-term feast, after all.  _

_ The few books that contained information about ice charms were quickly looked over, but there was nothing.  _

_ She folded her arms and let her fingers tap her arms as she thought.  _

_ Flitwick pretended to be engulfed in a book, failing miserably to hide a smile.  _

_ Elsa couldn't believe Draco had asked him to be in on this. But why would he need help from their Charms professor...? _

_ The lit fireplace caught her attention then. Narrowing her eyes, she got closer, and sure enough found the parchment merrily burning in between the logs.  _

_“ Unbelievable.” She breathed out as she knelt in front of it. _

_ Why did he bother so much? He could've just put it in a book or wherever. _

_“ Pretty thoughtful, isn't it? But I knew you'd find it rather quick anyways.” Flitwick was barely able to conceal his excitement. _

_“ So that's what he needed your help with?” _

_“ Fire resistance charms are pretty advanced. You'd learn it in Charms N.E.W.T level.” _

_ With Flitwick watching her, she couldn't just use her powers, so she had to use her good old wand.  _

_ Pulling it out of her sleeve, she pointed it at the flames.  _

_“_ _Glacius!_ _ ”  _

_ With how much she had practiced it last year, she succeeded easily and was able to take the note. _

_Did you have fun? Come tell me all about it at our spot._

_ Grinning in triumph, Elsa got up.  _

_“ It's good to see you smile again.” Flitwick's comment made her shrug sheepishly before she bade her goodbye and ran off. _

_Their spot_ was easy. Tutoring had been their bonding activity from the beginning, and since the library was already ticked off, there were only the stone benches left.

She had to hurry, since they weren't allowed outside after sunset.

Draco was there, as expected. What Elsa hadn't expected was the patch of snow around it.

It was fake snow, she could tell, but that didn't make it less beautiful.

The Slytherin smiled at her as she sat down next to him and took the offered chocolate bar.

“You were a little too fast for my liking, I almost didn't finish on time.”

“What was this all about? The girls and Flitwick were all over the moon.”

“I thought something fun wouldn't hurt, you know, to ease the stress a little.”

Elsa laughed. “Very thoughtful of you indeed.”

She opened up a package of chocolate snitches, missing the way Draco's smile softened as he looked at her.

**xxx**

Elsa rolled her tense shoulders as she entered the Transfiguration classroom a few weeks later.

Things were starting to slowly normalize. There wasn't any sign of Sirius Black anymore, so the students were concentrating on quidditch and school once again.

Flitwick was completely out of it for no apparent reason, though they suspected it had to do with a bet he had going with Professor Sprout.

The match between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw had ended with Ravenclaw winning, while the Hufflepuffs had managed to beat Slytherin.

Draco's mood had been quite down because of that defeat.

However, it made things more interesting again. Ravenclaw had another shot at winning the trophy, if Gryffindor lost their match against Hufflepuff and of course if they could beat the Gryffindors.

Or something along the lines. Elsa hadn't bothered to follow up Anthony's calculations.

All she cared about at the moment was to keep up her own spirits and schoolwork. Final exams would come, and Elsa already feared the storm of classmates that would ask for her help again.

The amount of homework was ridiculous already, she couldn't grasp how Hermione managed two more electives. Judging her exhausted look, she didn't quite manage.

“I just hope we gathered enough info for Hagrid to save Buckbeak.”

Elsa jumped at Hermione's voice next to her. When had she arrived?

“I wouldn't know what else we could've done.” She sighed, rubbing over her face.

“It's a shame they wouldn't allow us to testify. We all saw Pansy provoking him.”

“We just have to hope Hagrid can convince them on his own...”

As it turned out, he couldn't. He told them later that day that he had locked up, unable to say much with how intimidated he's been by Parkinson.

“Father said he was impressive with his opening statement. The judges were completely on board with him. It would've taken a pretty convincing testimony from the half-giant to change their minds...”

Draco said at dinner, trying to console her. Luna was rubbing her back, while Elsa was sitting there with her face buried in her hands.

She wasn't crying, she felt too numb for that.

“It was mean of them to scare Hagrid that much.” Luna comforted.

“It's just so unfair...” Elsa mumbled into her hands.

“At least father managed to give the hippogriff an appeal. In June they'll hear Hagrid out again and take a look at Buckbeak themselves before following through with the... the execution.”

“That's right after our final exams... Maybe we can stop by and tell them how it really was.”

“I doubt they'll listen to us.” Draco winced. “But of course we could try.”

Elsa lowered her hands, taking a calming breath.

“I'm gonna go through everything I can find about penalties. We have to prepare Hagrid so he won't freak out again.” She said, determined.

She'd be damned if she'd just sit back and watch Buckbeak be executed because of Pansy's pettiness.

Fortunately Hermione and Ron had been able to sort their issues out and were slowly getting along again.

The upcoming quidditch matches were taking up most of the attention, it hasn't been that close a race for ages.

Elsa rather spent the time making true to her vow and informed herself about the upcoming appeal.

It was impossible to concentrate with a few hundred cheering students around, though.

From all the shouting she gathered that Gryffindor won the quidditch trophy after the last match, so she hoped the craze would be over now. There were more important things to take care of, after all.

However, Hagrid showed a worrying amount of lethargy concerning the matter. He blamed himself for messing up the hearing. And if the representatives of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures wouldn't be convinced in June, it was over for Buckbeak.

“I've never seen him so down before. And he's been in Azkaban last year.” Ron sighed as the three of them made their way back to the castle from their latest visit.

Hermione had wanted to come too, but had too much homework for Muggle Studies.

"Can't you do something? Or your parents?"

  
Elsa blinked at Harry, heart skipping a beat. Unfortunately Ron had connected the dots rather quick.

  
"Parents? I thought you said you were an orphan?"

  
Harry, realizing his mistake, shrugged. "Oh, uh... I mean..."

  
The blonde sighed wearily. Sooner or later she would've told him anyways.

"Not... really. I had quite the problems at home, I was scared my parents wouldn't let me go to Hogwarts, so I ran away. I thought that if I said I was an orphan there wouldn't be any questions..."

  
Ron frowned at her. "Alright... but why would your parents be able to do something in Buckbeak's case?"

  
Elsa lowered her voice after checking no one was in earshot. It was her first real friend, he could keep her secret.   
"You can't tell anyone." She started, waiting for the redhead's nod. "My parents are the king and queen of Arendelle. It's a small kingdom," she shrugged, "but well."

  
"No way. You're telling me you _really_ are a princess?"

  
Elsa and Harry didn't quite know what to make of his quiet tone.

  
"Yes... we kind of talked it out last summer when I went home." She turned to Harry,

"I don't think a muggle king could do something in this case... since they technically shouldn't know about magic at all. Any more than necessary, that is."

  
"Is that the reason..." the two of them looked at Ron, "You rather stayed with Malfoy over christmas? Because The Burrow isn't good enough for your royal highness?!"

  
"What? No!" Elsa recoiled at her friends words, "Ron, don't be ridiculous."

  
"Am I? You live in a freaking castle with servants and more than enough money, everything and everyone at your beck and call and still you lived almost two summers off my family because of a petty disagreement with your parents?!"

  
"It wasn't a simple disagreement, you have no idea what-"

  
"But Malfoy has an idea, right? Betcha liked it, having your own room and house elves bending to your every wish."

  
"Ron, calm down." Harry spoke up while Elsa tried to find her voice. She couldn't grasp why Ron was acting like that all of a sudden.

  
"That's not it at all. I don't care about that, I love The Burrow and your family."

  
"Yeah, so much that you lied to us from the beginning."

  
"It wasn't-"

  
"Sure, whatever." Ron walked off, a grumpy expression on his face.

  
Harry looked between a blanched Elsa and Ron's retreating form. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."

  
Elsa felt the ever present knot in her stomach, a heavy weight that left her queasy. "It's not your fault... I should've been honest from the beginning... Excuse me."

  
The Ravenclaw quickly walked off, trying not to run so she wouldn't attract too much attention. She felt so overwhelmed.

  
Her so called parents, who only took her in out of necessity, destroyed her future by engaging her to an evil prince and practically tricked her into signing her own fate, all without saying anything to her.   
Her real mother, who just gave her away to a few rock trolls without a good reason.   
Buckbeak's impending death sentence.

All the work, the things she needed to learn.   
And now her first friend is mad at her because of her lies.

  
She just didn't know what to do anymore, how to manage, how to keep herself going.

  
Myrtle's bathroom gave her a good hiding spot. She needed some time to herself. Princesses shouldn't show their feelings in public, even though she was a fake princess.

  
Selecting the stall furthest from the door, she sat on the closed toilet lid and wiped at her watering eyes.

  
It was her own fault. She really should've been honest from the beginning. Why was this all messed up now?

  
"Were you bullied?" Elsa looked up through teary eyes. Myrtle's head was sticking through the stall door.

  
"No. It's my own fault. Life's just... complicated right now."

  
"Death's not any easier, believe me."

  
Elsa pulled out her handkerchief and tried to dry her tears.   
She bit back a sob when the door opened. The ghost went to chase the intruder away.

  
"Good afternoon, you must be the famous Myrtle Elsa and Ginny told me about. You helped them with the chamber last year, right? And with the Valentine's Day surprise?"   
Luna's dreamy voice made Elsa stifle a sob.

  
"Yes, that was me. I'm more than just a yammering ghost!"

  
"That you are. Say, I'm looking for my friend. I thought I saw her come in here."

  
"She's a little upset, I'm not sure she wants to see anyone."

  
Elsa closed her eyes. "It's okay Myrtle, thank you..." She took a calming breath and wiped her eyes again before stepping out of her stall.

  
Luna came closer to her and tilted her head. "Are you okay? I saw Ron and Harry storming by. Ron seemed really mad about something.”

  
Elsa shook her head, still trying to calm herself down.   
"We had a disagreement."

  
"It doesn't sound like a simple disagreement."

  
The older blonde shrugged. "I deserved it. I lied to him."

  
Luna didn't prod, but Myrtle was another story.   
"What about?"

  
Would it really do much harm if she told them too? With how mad Ron was, her secret could be all around school already anyways.

  
"My home life is complicated. My... foster... parents wouldn't have let me come here so I had sneaked away. And to avoid a hassle I said I was an orphan."

  
"Pah, what a stupid reason to argue about!" Myrtle scoffed, crossing her arms.

  
Elsa fiddled with her handkerchief. "I think it's more about me being a princess. My parents are the king and queen of a small kingdom. He seemed mad because he thought I'd prefer Draco over him because he comes from a wealthy family."

  
"Do you?" Myrtle bluntly asked.

  
"No!" She sighed. "He invited me over for Christmas and I accepted. It has nothing to do with his home or financial situation at all."

  
"I'm sure his pride is just a little hurt. Ginny is a little sensitive when it comes to money too." Luna supplied. "He'll come around."

  
"I wouldn't be too sure of that." Elsa closed her eyes. "And it's just the tip of my problems. But that's something I need to figure out on my own."

  
"That's the reason you've been so stressed out since the beginning of the year, isn't it?"

  
Elsa nodded. "Can you not tell Draco, please? He's already not too fond of Ron and I only lately managed to dim his over-protectiveness."

  
"Sure. You should really talk to _someone_ , though. Bottling everything up is not healthy." The oddly stern tone coming from Luna was throwing Elsa off.

  
"I will, as soon as I found a solution."

  
"Sometimes talking to someone can help you find solutions."

  
Myrtle gave an exaggerated nod, feeling very special that the two Ravenclaws included her.

  
"I doubt it in this case." Talking to Luna about this was one thing, but she had no idea if Myrtle was trustworthy with such delicate information.   
Her being a half spirit was too important. Nobody else was to know. There had to be a reason there wasn't a single mention of spirits' offspring.

If there were only two known bonds with Spirits, Spring and a muggle, Winter and a witch, then it could really be she's the only half spirit in existence.

And a chatty sensitive teenage ghost didn't seem to be the most trustworthy sounding board.

Harry and Draco had reacted so well when she had told them about her being a princess. Ron exploding like that was throwing her off way more than it should.

Of course he had a lot on his plate too, Elsa understood, but she was basically bursting with problems already.

She only hoped he'd calm down soon and they could be friends again.  
  


* * *


	15. Chapter 15

* * *

"Have you lost your mind? Stop harassing Ron!" Elsa scolded a fuming Draco a few days later.

  
"No. He can be glad I don't hex him into oblivion for making you cry."

  
Elsa recoiled at that. "How did you find out?"

  
"The Moaning Myrtle told me..." He ran a hand through his hair, messing it up. "The more important question is: Why didn't _you_ say anything?"

  
"Because I was afraid you would react just like _that_. You can't just run around and bully everyone that is a little mean to me. Especially when I'm the one that messed up in first place."

Elsa shook her head, inwardly scolding herself for that moment of weakness she's shown in the bathroom.

  
"How in all hells did _you_ mess up? Because you did what Dumbledore told you to and kept your royal status a secret? Just because his feelings are hurt he shouldn't lash out on you like that."

  
Elsa blinked at Draco, the way his jaw was set as he furiously glared to the general direction of the Gryffindor table.   
It was sweet, in a way, how he cared about her. Still.

  
"... I can fight my own fights, Draco. This is between Ron and I, and we'll figure it out eventually. You antagonizing him again will only push him away more." She smiled though, giving the Slytherin's arm a squeeze.

  
"So you just expect me to lean back and watch passively while you're hurting? Seriously, _again_?"

  
"It's not like he's really _hurting_ me. It's just words, letting out his frustrations. I can handle it."

  
"But you cried."

  
"I was overwhelmed. Lately things seem to fall apart bit by bit and Ron's behavior was the last thing I needed to break." She shrugged, eyes drawn to where her fingers were fiddling with her charm bracelet.

"It was too much. But I'm fine now."

  
Draco gave her an unhappy frown. "Sure you are." He said sarcastically.   
"You barely sleep and bury yourself in work. Whatever it is you don't wanna talk about, it's eating away at you."

  
"You sound like you speak from experience."

  
"As a matter of fact, I do. But that's not the point. If you don't want to talk about it with anyone, okay. But you have to find some sort of outlet."

  
Elsa heaved a sigh. "Its not like I don't _want_ to talk about it. It's just... nobody can help me in this case. And the other thing... is just personal issues, I guess."

  
"Talking about it helps." Draco said surely. "As long as you don't tell it to the wrong person."

  
"If I told anyone they'd just be sympathetic and sorry. No point in drawing others down with me."

  
She could tell Draco's curiosity was burning deep. If it was the other way around, Elsa was sure she'd be just as curious and wouldn't stop for nothing until she had an answer.

However, with herself in the middle of it all, she felt less inclined to share.

It was enough he knew about her royalty, her fake royalty. She didn't need him to know about the arranged marriage too.

  
"You know what," Draco said, standing up, "you and I are gonna visit that hippogriff now."

  
"W-what? Now?" She checked the time. “But the sun's setting soon, we'll get in trouble if they catch us.”

“Didn't stop you from getting into trouble the past two years.” He just grabbed her hand and pulled her along towards the direction of Hagrid's hut.

“Just a short visit.”

Elsa almost stumbled over her feet as she let herself be pulled.

“Why do you suddenly want to go see him?”

Draco glanced at her sideways. “You're always calmer after visiting him.”

Blinking, Elsa watched him in open wonder. He was so attentive, how had she never really realized that?

“Besides, with the final exams coming up, you won't have much time for more visits.” 

“I guess you're right...” 

“Course I am.” 

**xxx**

As feared, the final exams were bringing a wave of freaking out students to storm at their brighter classmates for help.

Especially Arithmancy and Astronomy seemed to have them desperate, which was quite understandable.

With Hermione barely getting her own workload done, Elsa had taken the brunt of the storm, spending the whole afternoons and evenings helping out various Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs, even a few second year Slytherins had asked for assistance.

Ron was stubbornly avoiding her, while Harry was grateful for the help.

Even Ginny was there, having reassured her multiple times that none of the Weasley family was mad at her except for Ron. It was a small consolation, but it made Elsa feel a little better at least.

The heat of early summer was getting to her, too. She frequently found herself wishing for time to stop so she could wrap herself in a blanket of ice and sleep everything away.

By the beginning of June, she was relieved to no end that the exams were taking place so the studying craze could be over.

Potions had nearly given her a nervous breakdown, and Herbology would've made her throw up if she had anything solid in her stomach.

The rest of the classes, however, were alright.

Since Hagrid gave them a very simple exam, watching over a bowl of Flubberworms, they used the time to brief him for the upcoming appeal in two days.

Ron was joining the conversation, but ignored Elsa.

“You have to stand tall, try to pull your shoulders back, no hunching them up.” Elsa advised.

“You _know_ Buckbeak isn't dangerous. No matter what Mr Parkinson said. Keep eye contact, try not to stutter. You're his caretaker, you know him.”

Hagrid was concentrating hard, subconsciously standing straighter for practice.

“This is harder when I stand face to face with them...” He muttered.

“You will manage, Hagrid. You have to.”

The following days were testing Elsa's will and health. She felt spread too thin, out of touch with everything.

She was beyond glad that DADA would be her last exam, since she didn't have Divination or Muggle Studies.

However, the relief slipped away when Lupin revealed that their exam was an obstacle course outside in the sun.

How in all heavens was she supposed to get through this in her nervous state?

She was torn between going last, so the majority of her classmates would be gone, or going first so she could maybe get a few extra hours of rest before Buckbeak's appeal.

Ron waited for Harry and Hermione to be done before stalking off. The latter two were hesitating, they wanted to wait for Elsa too, but the blonde waved them off.

She'd rather have them off the grid when she fought her way through the course.

“You don't look healthy.” Anthony stated with a concerned frown.

Elsa took deep breaths to keep her queasiness at bay from where she was sitting in the shade of a tree.

Draco had the same expression on his face.

“I'll be fine.”

“Lupin is super nice, and you studied so much, you'll get through this without trouble” Anthony tried to cheer her up.

Shaking her head, Elsa closed her eyes. “It's not- I'm not worried about that. Just a little under the weather.” Quite literally, she thought.

“I'm gonna talk to Lupin, you shouldn't-”

“Draco please.” Elsa stopped him. “It's just a few minutes. I can manage.”

There wasn't much they could say to change her mind, not when she was in such a mood.

Among the last ones left, the boys reluctantly left her to go through the course themselves. Anthony wasn't quite able to defeat the boggart. Draco did, but looked rather pale and sickly when he stepped out of the tent that surrounded the trunk that posed as the last obstacle.

Elsa got ready to have her go, from her peripheral vision seeing how Lupin talked to Anthony and Draco while observing her.

Grinding her teeth, she forced her way through the first obstacles.

She almost lost her balance when a wave of dizziness washed over her, but managed to catch herself.

Only the boggart left. She could do it.

The inside of the tent was quite stuffy, the small space heated up by the sun beating down on the dark fabric.

The trunk sprang open to reveal the shadow prince again. Having had enough time to think about it, Elsa wanted to make quick work of it.

Before the boggart could bind her arms again, she cast _Riddikulus_ to make the smoke-like substance turn liquid, falling to a sad little puddle on the bottom of the trunk.

While it wasn't funny by any means, it didn't scare her anymore.

When stepping out of the tent she stumbled again, glad for the support of Draco rushing to her aide.

Lupin put a hand on her shoulder. “You did well. I want you to go to the hospital wing now, alright?”

“But I'm fine. I just need a break.”

“Yes, and you can take that break with Madam Pomfrey.”

Elsa defiantly stood straighter again. “Buckbeak's appeal starts in two hours, I have to-”

“You can either go to the hospital willingly, or by force. This is not up for discussion, Elsa.”

She closed her eyes. Maybe if she gave in now and rested for two hours she'd be allowed to see Buckbeak again.

“Fine.”

She let herself be escorted to Madam Pomfrey by Draco, who refused to leave her side while she was given a sleeping potion.

Only when the mediwitch pulled up the curtains around her bed did the Slytherin leave.

Feeling her eyes grow heavy, Elsa let herself be consumed by a dreamless slumber.

She jerked awake when she was shaken by her shoulders. At least that's what she thought it was.

Elsa rubbed her eyes, not seeing anyone else in the hospital wing. The curtain was pushed aside slightly, giving view of the opposite window.

It was sunset already. While still feeling entirely groggy from the potion, she forced herself to get up took her time stretching her leaden muscles.

Buckbeak... she had missed the appeal. What was the verdict?

Should she wait for Madam Pomfrey before leaving?

The squeaking sound of the window opening had her frowning. It had been closed just a second ago.

Curiously, she walked over to it. She could see Hagrid's hut from there, Buckbeak tied up at the pumpkin patch next to it, and a few men, including Dumbledore, making their way towards it.

One of them was carrying a large scythe.

Heart plummeting into her stomach, she realized that they must've lost. Buckbeak was to be executed.

Elsa clenched her fists before tearing off, out of the hospital wing and outside.

She didn't see her Gryffindor friends vanish in a hole under the Whomping Willow, too set on getting to Buckbeak.

The door to Hagrid's hut was not entirely closed, Elsa didn't bother knocking and just stormed inside without having really thought about what to say.

Dumbledore didn't appear as surprised as the rest of the lot. Hagrid was wiping at his wet face, while Minister Fudge and two mean looking men were looking quite perturbed.

“Young lady, you shouldn't run around outside after sunset, the dementors are quite dangerous.” The minister gently scolded her.

“Believe me, I know.” Elsa stood straighter, squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin.

“Y'shouldn't be out here, Elsa. You don't need to see... this...”

“It's wrong. I won't stand back and watch you make a big mistake.”

There was an amused quirk of Dumbledore's lips.

One of the other men, probably part of the Committee, glared at her.

“Who do you think you are, child? Talking like that to us!”

“I am Crown Princess Elsa of Arendelle. Coincidentally this is exactly how I was raised to talk to those who don't do their job correctly.” She declared strongly, enjoying the flash of disbelief crossing the faces of the ministry workers.

“Princess or not, you're in no position to tell us how to do our job! The hearing is over, as is the appeal. The decision was made, the hippogriff is a hazard.”

“Instead of efficiently doing your job and checking the subject from every angle, you decided rashly because of the one-sided statement presented to you by the plaintiff. As a matter of fact, I can prove that Buckbeak is _not_ dangerous.”

Dumbledore looked absurdly amused, while Hagrid's and Fudge's eyes widened comically.

The committee members' faces reddened with rage.

“Dumbledore, get your students under control.”

The headmaster innocently shrugged his shoulders. “She's not wrong, is she? I've told you at the hearing that we could bring in testifiers. Unfortunately you've decided to listen to Mister Parkinson instead.”

Fudge used a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his balding head, holding up his other hand in a pacifying way.

“Now, we don't need another conflict at the moment, do we?”

He faced the committee members.

“Is it true that you refused any testifiers?”

“It wasn't necessary. We had Dumbledore and the gamekeeper in, and they just weren't convincing. And the hippogriff was snapping at us at the appeal today.” The one not carrying a scythe was the more talkative type.

Hagrid found his voice again, glaring at the men. “That's because y'were being disrespectful! Y'were basically rushing at him!”

Dumbledore caught Elsa's gaze and gave a tiny encouraging nod. The blonde composed herself.

“This seems to be a major failure in judgment, coming from the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures.”

Her mind zoomed over everything she's read the past few months. She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“This is a scandal, the so-called experts of the Ministry not knowing that hippogriffs are extremely proud creatures that tend to lash out when not approached with utmost respect.”

“That's-”

“And if they _did_ know,” Elsa interrupted them, gaining confidence, “one would think they were bigoted, if not _corrupt_ for purposefully rushing at one to have him attack.”

A gasp escaped Fudge at the c-word. Wiping more sweat he shook his head.

“No, no one at the Ministry is corrupt!” He hurried to say.

Dumbledore calmly walked to stand next to Elsa, a hand on her shoulder.

“It would certainly look like it, dear Cornelius. However, if you'd allow young Elsa here to bring in her proof, it would show of your sense of justice.”

“Of course, of course. No, you're right.”

“Minister Fudge, this is-”

“Not debatable, Macnair. Our Ministry is _not_ corrupt.” He faced Elsa again and indicated a small uncertain bow.

“Now, if you can prove the hippogriff is not a violent monstrosity, he will be amnestied.”

Hagrid perked up.

“Alright. If you'd kindly follow me.” Head held high, Elsa turned around and stepped up to the pumpkin patch.

Buckbeak scrambled to his feet and shook out his wings. Elsa waited for the adults to join her before moving towards him.

She kept eye contact with him as she approached without fear. Buckbeak took two steps before the chain on his collar forced him to stop.

Fudge was constantly wiping the sweat from his forehead, nervously biting on his lips.

“We're not taking responsibility if he attacks her.” Macnair grumbled darkly.

“I don't think this will be necessary.” Dumbledore smiled as they watched Elsa reach Buckbeak.

Like a young puppy, the hippogriff rubbed his head on Elsa's, allowing her to hug and pat him gently.

“Good boy. I'm proud of you.” She praised him quietly, getting a caw in response.

“See? I told you Beaky was a nice hippogriff!” Hagrid was crying again, this time from happiness.

“Indeed. He doesn't appear aggressive at all.” Fudge admitted. “I am a honorable man and will keep my word. I hereby announce that the hippogriff is allowed to live.”

Hagrid's gasp of happiness rung out.

Elsa couldn't help her eyes watering with relieved happy tears at the news as she hugged Buckbeak's feathery neck.

Groaning in anger, Macnair hacked his scythe into a nearby pumpkin.

“Do you have any idea how much paperwork this is?!”

Dumbledore smiled in amusement. “We better get started then, shall we?”

He gestured to the castle, lights from the window coming on with the darkening sky.

“My office is perhaps the best place for a business like this.”

Hagrid laughed. “And then we'll celebrate! I have a large keg of firewhiskey waiting for us.” He patted Buckbeak's head.

“You should head back inside, Elsa, we don't want any dementors attacking you again now that we saved Beaky here.”

“Oh Hagrid, firewhiskey sounds very fine. Why don't you get it and join us in my office? We'll send a professor to accompany Miss Winters back to the castle once Buckbeak's done thanking her.”

Elsa frowned at that. All the security measures concerning her, and suddenly Dumbledore just wanted to leave her alone outside after dark?

However, the headmaster had a certain twinkle in his eye when Elsa looked at him.

Maybe, she assumed, he thought she was fine now that she had learned to cast a Patronus.

She didn't mind sitting a little longer with Buckbeak, anyways. With sunset it had cooled down, and she was still a little woozy from Madam Pomfrey's potion.

Sleep... yeah, she hadn't slept it off yet, not at all. But she could sleep later, right now Buckbeak needed some more love.

Elsa waited for quite a while before getting suspicious. No one was coming to pick her up. Something was definitely not right.

Yawning, she got up and bade her goodbye to Buckbeak. She wasn't sure if she was allowed to untie him, but the hippogriff seemed content just laying on straw between the pumpkins.

Rubbing her arms, Elsa made her way back to the castle, keeping an eye on the sky. With the full moon illuminating the night, it wasn't hard making out the shadowy shapes of the dementors in the distance.

When she passed the Whomping Willow she paused. Someone was coming _out_ of it.

She identified the first as Professor Lupin. Chained to him was a small plump man, also followed by... Ron? The Weasley was limping.

A haggard dark-haired man was coming next.

Could this be Sirius Black?

Elsa recognized the motionless figure levitating with them as Snape. Harry and Hermione were walking behind them.

What was going on? What did they get themselves into again?!

A horrible thought crossed her mind. It was full moon. And Lupin was outside. If her suspicions were right, he would-

As if she jinxed it, Lupin was stiffening and shaking. Elsa ran up to the group without a second thought.

“You have to stand back, he's a werewolf!” She warned.

“Elsa, what-”

A deafening howl came from Lupin's transformed snout as the rest of his body followed.

He looked terrifying in his wolf form.

Snape dropped to the grass, still unconscious, when Sirius Black transformed right in front of their eyes into a large black dog and pounced on Lupin.

Ron grunted in pain when a kick to his injured leg from the stranger made him fall.

“No!” Harry tried to grab his wand, but the plump man shrunk suddenly, turning into Scabbers and scurrying off in the darkness.

“W-What's going on?!” Elsa asked when the werewolf ran off into the woods, Sirius hot in pursuit.

“Peter Pettigrew was the one responsible for Harry's parents' death, not Sirius Black. He's innocent!” Hermione explained quickly.

Their breaths were becoming visible again as the air grew colder all of a sudden.

Dreading it, Elsa looked upwards to see a flurry of black shadows as the dementors closed in on the area.

They concentrated on the lake short ways off through the forest, and on their current location by the Whomping Willow.

Elsa gulped as she drew her wand out of her sleeve.

There was a pained howl coming from the direction of the lake.

“No, Sirius!” Harry tore off without looking back.

“Harry, wait!” Hermione hesitated in following him. She was reassured for Ron's safety with Elsa there, so she decided run after him in case he needed assistance.

“Don't-” Elsa tried to call after her, but Hermione was long gone.

“We have to wake Snape!” Ron breathed, using his healthy leg to kick whatever part of the Potions master he could reach. It happened to be his shoulder.

Snape wasn't moving, and the dementors were coming closer.

Ron gripped his hair, close to panic. “I can't believe Scabbers was a filthy traitor all along!”

“Think positive, Ron!” Elsa felt her own happiness be tugged at when the dementors reached them.

Of course not to the same level as Ron was affected, but the relief of Buckbeak's rescue was slowly hampered-

Fighting the depressing thoughts away as the impulse took Elsa, she held up her wand. “Expecto Patronum!”

A blinding silvery white light erupted from her wand. It started to shape until it took the form of a hippogriff.

“Whoa!” Ron gasped, staring wide-eyed as the Patronus chased away the dementors until they were past the wards of Hogwarts again.

There was a similar glow coming from the lake.

Elsa was pretty sure she shared Ron's dumbfounded expression. The silver glowing hippogriff figure came to stand in front of them and vanished with an inaudible caw.

“D-Did you just cast a corporal patronus?!”

“I think I did...” Elsa shook her head in disbelief.

Snape was stirring awake then, standing abruptly when he fully came to. He glared at Ron and Elsa.

“Where is Black and Lupin?!”

Both of the teens were still in shock and pointed to the direction of the lake.

Snape conjured up another corporal patronus, a doe, and sent it towards the castle before running to the lake.

Elsa let herself fall to her knees next to Ron, exhausted.

“Are you okay?” Ron asked quietly, gaze averted.

“You're the one with a broken leg.” She tried a smile, glad was talking to her again.

“But I'm fine. Just a little drained, after effects of Madam Pomfrey's calming potion.”

“... You didn't look too well at the DADA exam today.”

Elsa shrugged. “I managed. But Lupin was thinking I might need a little aid in getting some rest.”

“You and Hermione are horrible when it comes to stress, you know?”

The blonde laughed humorlessly. “Oh believe me, I do know.”

**xxx**

“What were you thinking, just running off?! The potion was supposed to knock you out for twelve hours at least!”

Elsa should've known it would end up with a lecture. However, her worry for her friends was greater.

Flitwick and McGonagall had arrived shortly after Snape had vanished, alerted by the patronus.

Ron and Elsa had been brought to the hospital wing, where the Weasley had been immediately knocked out by the mediwitch so she could mend his bones in peace.

Hermione and Harry were already unconscious when they've been brought in, apparently weakened by the dementor encounter.

“I'm fine, I don't need to sleep any more.” Elsa inwardly rolled her eyes. She wanted to know what happened. The full story.

However, as it was, nobody could give her answers. Lupin was hiding somewhere in the Forbidden Forest, Sirius Black was also unconscious, locked in Flitwick's office and waiting for his fate.

Snape was giving a rather unbelievable story to the Minister and Dumbledore right in front of the hospital wing's door.

“You are fine when I say so, young lady!” Madam Pomfrey scolded.

“Now, if you don't want to sleep, you're going to rest. And eat the chocolate.”

Elsa didn't have to be told twice, already reaching for her second piece of chocolate.

With Buckbeak saved, her final exams behind her and her friends on the way to recovery, she felt better to just lean back and relax for a few hours.

Harry and Hermione were seeing things very differently, apparently. When they woke up, they practically freaked out, insisting Sirius was innocent.

Minister Fudge was rather believing Snape though, who was spinning a tale of the Confundus Charm being used on them and so on.

Dumbledore gave a very cryptic message after the minister and Snape had vanished, which only Hermione seemed to have understood.

What on earth was he talking about? Three or four turns should be enough? And why was he locking them in here?

As soon as the door was closed, Hermione pulled Harry to Elsa's bed and pulled on a thin golden chain around her neck to reveal an hourglass attached to it.

Harry and Elsa exchanged a confused look. “What is this?”

“A timeturner. McGonagall gave it to me so I could take all the classes at once.”

Hermione pulled the long chain over each of their heads before turning the hourglass three times.

There was a pull, a tugging sensation as their surroundings blurred. When everything cleared up again, they were in the hallway leading outside to Hagrid's hut.

Hermione took the timeturner again and put it back in her shirt.

“... What... It's day again? What happened?”

“We went back in time, three hours. Dumbledore thinks we can save Sirius somehow. Look, we mustn't be seen by _anyone_. It's one of the most important rules.”

Elsa blinked as she looked around. Time traveling? Should she even be surprised anymore?

While Hermione and Harry discussed of what to do, Elsa tried to remember what was three hours ago.

She was already knocked out in the hospital wing, that was sure.

“Someone's coming, quick!”

Hermione shooed them outside so they could cower right under the open windows.

“... not saying I don't agree, but that's no way to handle things.” Elsa recognized Ginny's voice.

“Can you cut it? I'll be in enough trouble when Elsa finds out.”

“Where is she, by the way? I haven't seen her since breakfast.” Luna was with them too.

“Hospital wing. Finally getting some rest. Pomfrey said she'll sleep till tomorrow morning at least.”

“She's been pretty stressed out lately.” Luna agreed.

“You could've just told Ron that instead of being cryptically mean.” Ginny scolded again.

To Harry's surprise, Draco didn't blow up at her. Instead, he just groaned impatiently.

“I _know_. Now shoo, I still have a bone to pick with Pansy.”

“To get another punch to the nose?”

“Shut up.”

When the footsteps had faded completely and the trio was sure they were gone, they exchanged equally confused looks.

“What happened between Ron and Draco?”

“What were _you_ doing in the hospital wing?”

Elsa rolled her eyes. “The stress has been getting to me, along with the heat. After my exam, Lupin practically forced me to go there and get some rest.”

“So _that's_ why Malfoy was so pissed...” Hermione shook her head. “He stormed up to Ron when we were sitting outside, and gave him an earful for being so mean to you because of the princess-matter.”

Harry couldn't suppress a small smile. “He provoked Hermione into punching him.”

“Shut it, Harry. I was under a lot of pressure and stress. I didn't know it had been affecting you so much you needed the hospital.”

Elsa shook her head. “Draco is like a gigantic guard dog when it comes to me lately.”

“Anyways, he had it coming.” Harry shrugged. “Though I'm surprised at how... nice he is to Ginny.”

“Because she doesn't antagonize him.”

“Can we concentrate on Sirius, please?” Hermione interrupted them, sitting on the ground.

“There has to be a reason Dumbledore gave us the location of the window...” Elsa supplied.

“... maybe we can save Buckbeak, too. Then we could help Sirius escape from Flitwick's office in the seventh floor.”

“Wait, save Buckbeak?”

“Yes of course! He doesn't deserve to be executed...”

“Oh my, of course you wouldn't know!” Elsa exclaimed, eyes wide. “He's been amnestied!”

“What, no.” Hermione checked the time. “We just received Hagrid's message that he was to die and went to see him.”

As if on cue, there were footsteps again and Ron's, Harry's and Hermione's voices as they passed them.

They waited for them to vanish down the path to Hagrid's hut.

“I woke up at sunset and went to confront the Committee. I convinced them with Dumbledore's help to let me show them Buckbeak wasn't dangerous.”

“For real? That's fantastic!” Hermione gasped. “You probably arrived just after we left... and you stayed with Buckbeak, so that's why you were there when the thing with Lupin happened!”

Harry shook his head. “But Malfoy just said you'd sleep until the next morning. Why did you wake up?”

Hermione bit her lip in thought as she watched her past self vanish in Hagrid's hut. “You don't just wake up from a sleeping potion unless you're woken up on purpose.”

“There was no one there when I woke up...” Elsa mumbled.

“We need to make sure he really isn't killed...” Hermione said, getting up. “You two go down in case we need to free him. I'll join you in a few minutes. And don't show yourselves to anyone!”

Confused, Elsa and Harry watched her retreat.

“Come on.” Harry started running down, keeping close to the bushes and trees by the side.

Elsa followed as fast as she could, hoping no one would see them accidentally.

They hid in the shadowy parts of the forest and watched Harry's past self and the others leave through the backdoor just as Dumbledore, the minister and the two Committee representatives walked to the hut.

Buckbeak looked in their direction, as if he knew they were hiding in the woods. He cawed happily.

“Ssh...” Elsa tried to hush him before he alerted the adults.

They could hear them talk inside, and then suddenly Elsa saw herself running down towards the hut.

“This is weird.” She commented, Harry nodding in agreement.

The blonde felt the urge to pat her own shoulder as she was able to hear the conversation again from an outsider's view. All that studying really paid off, with how professional she sounded.

“You really said that?” Harry laughed quietly. “Awesome.”

“I was mad... just going by my gut feeling I guess.”

“You should do that more often, like seriously.”

Hermione joined them just as Fudge announced Buckbeak to be set free.

“I had to shake you awake and open the window so you'd hurry...” She informed them.

“Alright, so Buckbeak is safe. We're in the Shrieking Shack now... we'll have to wait.”

Elsa nodded. “I sat there alone for about half an hour before deciding to go back inside and coming across you.”

They sat down on the mossy ground closer to the Whomping Willow, but still hidden by the trees.

“How did you know Lupin's a werewolf?” Harry asked Elsa after a while of sitting in silence.

“I mean, Hermione revealed knowing it in the Shrieking Shack, with the star charts and everything...”

“I didn't do as much research... I just suspected it when Snape gave us the essay about werewolves and connected the dots. I thought, since Snape gives him potions to keep him at bay, it was fine either way.”

“You knew it was for him being a werewolf? I thought he was poisoning him!”

“Please, Harry. Snape wouldn't poison another professor.”

“Ssh, here we come.”

The scene played out again, to where Harry and Hermione ran off towards the lake.

Harry followed himself without a second thought, while Hermione stayed with Elsa.

“Did you see where Pettigrew ran off to?”

“No... as soon as he was a rat it was impossible...”

The dementors' appearance was making them uncomfortable, but Ron's sad emotions about Scabbers' betrayal was drawing them in more.

Elsa's eyes were wide again with wonder as she watched herself cast the hippogriff patronus.

“This... this is very, _very_ advanced magic...” Hermione muttered.

“I know... Lupin taught Harry and I how to cast it.”

“That would explain how we survived the attack by the lake...”

They watched Snape run off, McGonagall and Flitwick appear, and waited for the unconscious bodies to vanish with Snape. About that time Harry had joined them again.

“I did it. I saved our past selves by the lake.”

“What? You weren't supposed to interfere!”

“I had to. I was unconscious, they would've killed us...”

Hermione rubbed her temples. “It's all coming together... we have to wait for the right time and then send Buckbeak up to free Sirius.”

“I still don't quite understand what happened...”

“It's a long story. The short version is that Scabbers was Peter Pettigrew's unregistered animagus form. He was the one betraying my parents and responsible for their death.

“Sirius is innocent, he just tried to get revenge on him. The three of them were friends with my dad back then.”

“Now, hurry.” Hermione gave the sign and the three of them ran down to where Buckbeak was still chained.

“We have to be back in the hospital wing in five minutes.” She said as she opened the chains with her wand.

Buckbeak flapped his wings.

“Ssh, calm down.” Elsa soothed.

“We won't be able to free Sirius and get back in five minutes!” Harry worried.

“We _have_ to. I don't want to think about what could happen if we don't succeed.”

“It's already five minutes from here to the hospital wing!”

Elsa observed the castle, calculating. The window of the hospital wing was still open. If she was right, she could do it.

“Go, I have a plan.” She urged her friends on.

“But-”

“Run, I'll see you in the hospital. Trust me!”

Harry hesitated, but Hermione pulled him along.

Elsa climbed Buckbeak's back, noting the familiarity and comparing it to the horses at home.

The hippogriff reacted as if he could read Elsa's thoughts, flapping his wings and running, taking off towards the sky.

A yelp escaped Elsa when she clung to his neck as not to fall off. It wasn't as scary as being on a broom, she thought. She wasn't scared of Buckbeak throwing her off.

At the right window, she used her wand to open it from the outside. Sirius was awake, though looking rather exhausted.

“B-But... am I hallucinating...?”

Elsa jumped off of Buckbeak and came to stand on the landing just outside of the window. If she hadn't been in such a hurry, she probably would've been scared to slip and fall.

She couldn't believe she was just helping a criminal escape, just because Harry trusted him and she trusted Harry.

“Hurry, take Buckbeak and flee.”

Blinking himself out of his daze, Sirius climbed out the window, coming to sit on the hippogriff.

“I don't know how to thank you...”

“Just leave!”

Buckbeak flew off, soon out of sight. Elsa jumped and almost slipped when the clock's bells started ringing, signaling the time was up in mere moments.

She conjured a slide of ice, pretty steep, to the open window below and used it to slide right through it, landing on an unused bed just as Harry and Hermione entered the room.

A smile and nod was bringing grins to her friends' faces.

Dumbledore winked at them before locking them in.

“How did you... Oh.”

Elsa pretended to use her wand to make the slide of ice vanish and hurried to close the window. The three of them slid into their beds, catching their breaths.

Madam Pomfrey entered the room with more chocolate, urging them to eat.

Giving the perfect picture of innocence, they complied and waited.

It didn't take long for Snape's yells to reach their ears.

“What on earth are they doing?! They'll wake up the whole castle!” Madam Pomfrey grumbled, gasping in rage when Snape entered the room.

He was accusing Harry of freeing Sirius Black, but since there wasn't proof and the sheer ridiculousness of them being on two spots at the same time, he was not succeeding in getting them in trouble.

While Elsa had thought Ron had overcome his anger of her lying, the ginger was still miffed at her the next morning.

She had offered to buy him a new pet, since Scabbers was gone, but it had been just the wrong thing to say.

Ron basically spat at her that he definitely didn't need her pity or her money.

Since he had to stay for another day in the hospital wing, while Elsa, Harry and Hermione were allowed to leave, the princess thought it was better to keep her distance then. At least until Ron had calmed down.

Elsa thought she might've forgotten something, but the memory came crashing down right when she went to breakfast. Or rather, it was waiting at the Ravenclaw table for her.

It was like a flashback to last year, when she had sneaked off with Harry and Ron into the Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

Draco and Anthony, both looking mutinous when they spotted her.

She noticed Neville and Hannah Abbott from Hufflepuff sitting at the Gryffindor table.

Would it look cowardly if she just sat with them and ignored the lecture commando?

However, Luna and Ginny were sitting there too, so she probably should just get it over with.

It was ridiculous, how would they have heard about it anyways? Maybe something else had rattled them. That must be it, better play innocent.

“Good morning.”

“Is it true?” Anthony asked instead of a greeting. Ginny ducked her head.

“I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific.”

“Penelope said she and Percy Weasley overheard that you sneaked out of the hospital wing to save that hippogriff.”

“Hm. A lot of rumors are going around lately, aren't they?”

Draco slammed his hand down on the table, startling a few of the students who sat close.

“Damnit, Winters, why can't I let you out of my sight for a few hours without you doing anything stupid?!”

“Saving a life isn't what I'd call stupid...” Elsa mumbled.

“You were supposed to _sleep_! Not go and face off with the Minister of Magic and the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures!”

“I _did_ sleep. Almost the whole night.”

“You're horrible.”

Heaving a sigh, Elsa took a bite from her toast. “Thanks.”

She eyed Draco's face, there was a light coloring of blue at the side of his nose and under his eye.

“What happened to _you_?” She asked innocently, even though she already knew the answer.

“None of your business.” He snapped, though his ears turned slightly pink.

After breakfast, Draco joined Elsa on her way to the common room so she could get freshened up.

However, they were stopped.

“Ah, your majesty!”

Elsa barely caught herself from facepalming when Minister Fudge called out for her. He was still wearing his clothes from the day before and looked like he hasn't slept at all.

It had been a wonder Ron hasn't told anyone her secret, but the minister was endangering it again.

Forcing a pleasant smile on her face, Elsa faced him.

“Minister. I'm sure you've been informed that my royal status is top secret here...”

“Ah yes, of course. I just...” he reached them and wiped his forehead with his discolored handkerchief.

“About yesterday. The ministry is facing a lot of problems now with the flight of Sirius Black and the upcoming World Cup. I just wanted to make sure that the incident with the accusation of corruption-”

“You needn't worry, Minister Fudge. Buckbeak got his freedom, there's no need to stir up more dust about this.”

Fudge gave a relieved grin, while Draco frowned at the interaction. He'd have to remember to ask Elsa about it later.

“A heart of gold, indeed. Anyhow, I want to express my appreciation. Perhaps you're interested in a premium seat at the World Cup's finale this summer?”

“That's a gracious offer, but I'm not really-” She cut herself off when Draco gently elbowed her.

His silver gaze was comically wide, Elsa had to bite the inside of her cheek as not to start laughing.

“Oh fine, that sounds wonderful, Minister.”

“You'll be impressed, we've been outdoing ourselves for weeks now! Are you bringing your boyfriend too? Mister... uhm.”

A pink-faced Draco straightened his back and hurried to introduce himself, shaking Fudge's offered hand.

“Malfoy, sir. Draco Malfoy.”

“Ah, Lucius' son! Of course, I should've seen the similarity.”

“We're just friends.” Elsa clarified with a smile. “But he will be accompanying me.”

“Sure, bring old Lucius too, there's been something I've been meaning to talk to him about.”

Elsa bit her lip. “Do you think you could do me another favor?”

“Anything for you, dear princess.”

“You might know Arthur Weasley. I was wondering if-”

“Say no more. Done. I'll talk to Ludo, they're old friends. Can't just run around and give free tickets to everyone so bluntly, but pulling a few strings in the background... that shouldn't be the problem.”

“Thank you, that's very gracious of you.”

“Oh, well.” Fudge laughed, but cleared his throat when the two grumpy looking Committee representatives showed up. “I'll get going now, duty's calling.”

As soon as the three of them were out of earshot, Draco faced Elsa.

“The Quidditch World Cup's final game! I can't believe it! Father has been trying to get me tickets, but even with his influence we weren't able to get a hold of them!”

“Is it really that big a deal?” Elsa couldn't help but laugh at his excitement.

Of course, she thought, if they took school's quidditch so seriously, a world cup would be like Christmas for them.

“I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that.” Draco shook his head. “But seriously, why did you ask him for the Weasleys with how he treated you?”

Elsa shrugged. “He's just hurt. He was my first friend, I'm not going to hold a grudge against him. He'll come around.”

Draco rolled his eyes, but refrained from saying more about this.

“So I guess you'll have to come stay with me for the summer. It would be unnecessary to go home with the World Cup so close.”

Relieved by the thought of not having to meet her fake parents so soon again, Elsa nodded. “That would be best, I think. I'll just have to write to them to send me some more money for my new school things.”

* * *


	16. Chapter 16

* * *

Summer at Malfoy Manor was a quite different matter than winter.

Aside from the green and healthy grass there were colorful flowers that made the whole mansion look friendlier.

It was still a little too hot for Elsa's liking, but inside it was significantly cooler.

There had been a few questions from a suspicious Lucius, of how Elsa managed to get them seats at the World Cup, but Draco was able to deflect by making up a believable lie.

Narcissa was quite happy to see Elsa again. To the princess it sounded as if the woman had always wanted a daughter, unfortunately only having had one son. And Draco was surely not the right conversation partner when Narcissa lost herself in her dream musings of balls.

“Oh, Draco, you really have to freshen up your dancing skills before the term starts. I don't want you to make a fool out of yourself and our family.”

The silver eyes widened comically when Draco let his quidditch magazine fall onto his lap.

“I know how to dance, mother. I don't need practice. Sides, it's just a school ball.”

“It's an international event!” Narcissa scolded. “And your last dancing lesson was when you were _nine_ , since you so stubbornly refused to continue!”

“Dancing is not that hard, and there's no point-”

“No point?!” The woman gasped, acting as if Draco had just announced he'd go live under a bridge.

Elsa hid a smile behind her hand. Taking pity, she looked at her friend.

“I think your mother's right. Knowing how to dance makes men look good.”

Draco gave her a deadpan look. “This is ridiculous.”

“No, your defensiveness is ridiculous.” Elsa teased. “One would think you're scared of dancing.”

“Hardy har. Do you want me to play clown for you and dance with an invisible person?”

Narcissa pursed her lips. “Clown would describe you quite well, with how you're behaving right now.”

“As much as I'd love to see that, I would help you if you want.”

“You know how to dance?” Narcissa sounded surprised, and Elsa needed a moment to remember that she didn't know about her royal status.

“Oh, yes. The orphanage owner's daughter is a teacher, she taught us how to.”

Sending her son a smirk, Narcissa got up from her armchair. “See? Elsa's going to help you.”

Draco muttered something under his breath before getting up. “... I just need a little freshening up. Aren't they gonna give us a crash course at Hogwarts or something?”

“Won't hurt to be prepared, and if they don't you'll embarrass us.” Narcissa hummed and led them to the music room. With a wave of her wand the piano there started playing a classical tune by itself.

Elsa watched him with an amused expression waiting for him to make the first move. It was fun seeing him insecure for once.

He hesitated, pressing his lips tightly together, before moving to stand in front of her.

Taking pity, Elsa took his hand and placed his other on her hip. With a smile she rested her own hand on his shoulder.

Draco cleared his throat started to move, willing a blush to go away.

At the beginning his moves were a little unsure and clumsy, but he gained more confidence with every step.

“Back straight, Draco.”

Elsa turned her head to see Lucius had arrived while they were dancing.

“Look.”

Narcissa was delighted when her husband grabbed her and began to move with her to the music.

**xxx**

"Are you kidding me? You've never caught fireflies before?"

Draco scrunched up his face and shrugged.

"No, why would I do that?"

Elsa tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "Because it's fun. Back at the... uh...” she looked around shortly to make sure his parents weren't around, “at the castle, when I was little, we did it every evening."

As long as royal duties were done, of course. And even then the king and queen barely ever joined them. Most of the times it was only Elsa and Anna, and after some time of running around, they curled up to look at the night sky.

Sometimes Gerda would join them, making up stories to make them laugh.

It were good times, that ended after the accident, when Elsa had to stay in her room all alone and concentrate on queen training.

"Fine, if it makes you happy..." Draco sighed and shook his head before lifting himself from the armchair he was sitting in.

"It does. And it will make  _ you _ happy too, believe me." Elsa nodded with a smile as she grabbed Draco's arm, dragging him outside.

It was already getting dark, the sun almost gone. It had cooled down considerably, which was a relief to Elsa.

Some of the fireflies were already visible, but hard to see. The difficulty of catching them like that only added to the fun. At least for Elsa.

"You're supposed to _catch_ them, not crush!" The blonde laughed as she watched Draco mostly just clapping at them.

The boy gave her a deadpan look and cupped his hands to start catching for real.

"When exactly does the fun beg- HA! I got one! What do I do with it now?"

Elsa chuckled and shook her head. "You let it go."

"What? Why would I catch them just to set them free again?"

"Well... what would you want to do with it?"

Draco shrugged, hands still cupped tightly to keep the bug in it.

"I don't know. Put it in a glass so I can look at my achievement whenever I want?"

Elsa tilted her head a little with a frown. That was so typical for Draco.

"Don't you think that's a little cruel?"

"It's not like I'm torturing or killing it... It's just a bug, it's going to die soon anyways."

"Maybe, but if you had the choice to live the rest of your life in joy and freedom or to wither away in a cage watched as a trophy, what would you choose?"

Draco's face pulled into a frown as he looked at his hands.

"But it doesn't really have a choice."

Elsa nodded, stepping a little closer.

"No it doesn't. But _you_ do. It's your choice if you let it be happy or sad."

The girl was surprised by her own choice of words, suppressing a shudder. She was sounding so much like her foster mother, the queen.

However, the words had Draco thinking. With a frown he let the firefly go, watching it tumble in the air a little before joining a few others, dancing around them. Seeing the bright smile Elsa gave him, Draco decided it had been worth it.

They continued to catch the fireflies and let them go again, making a contest of who could catch more of the bugs in one grasp. It occupied them until it was completely dark and the sky was illuminated by stars.

"Woah." Elsa breathed as she noticed the sight above them. It was one thing to watch the stars in Astronomy, but in real life it was way more beautiful.

Draco stopped and followed her gaze, smiling softly.

"It's breathtaking, isn't it? Out here we have the greatest view. Though I haven't really enjoyed it much the past years..."

"Back in Arendelle we see the Northern lights every night. It's pretty, too.” She noted, sighing up at the dark sky.

“Have you ever thought about flying up there and just grab a few? I've always imagined I could fly higher and higher, just escape everything down here, leave all responsibilities and expectations behind..."

Draco let out a small sigh and tilted his head slightly.

"Unfortunately it's not that easy. It never is."

Elsa gave a small sad smile towards the sky. It was so true. It was never easy.

"You know, Anna and I always made up stories about the stars. Some of them were real tales from books, but it was funnier when we gave them our own twist."

Draco chuckled softly and stood a little closer to Elsa.

"My mother used to show me some constellations when I was little."

The Ravenclaw's face lit up at that. "Can you show me?"

Of course they've learned a few in Astronomy, but it had always been rather dry and theoretical.

He laughed at her enthusiasm and nodded, laying down on the grass. It was dry, so he didn't worry about getting his clothes dirty. It was soft enough to be comfortable.

The blond waited until Elsa laid down next to him, before pointing at a certain set of stars.

"Do you see that big bright star? That's Alphard, the brightest star in the constellation of Hydra." He traced the constellation with his finger. "It means 'the Solitary One'. One of my mom's uncle was named after it, but we don't talk about him anymore."

He pointed his finger to another direction.

"This constellation is Cygnus. It's said to be a swan, but I really don't see it." Draco frowned a little, tilting his head to see the resemblance to a swan.

Elsa chuckled, also tilting her head.

"Anyways, it's my grandfather's name. Cygnus Black."

"Black? That name sounds familiar... Are you related to Sirius Black?" Elsa asked, eyes wide but never leaving the stars.

Draco shrugged and nodded. "He's my mom's cousin, but he doesn't really belong to the family anymore. Mother said he's a traitor, always been the black sheep, no pun intended. There. Sirius is the brightest star in the sky, closest to the sun, in the constellation called 'The Great Dog'."

Draco didn't want to talk about being related to a serial killer, so Elsa kept her questions to herself and rather concentrated on the stars. Though she found it kinda ironical that 'The Great Dog' was an animagus with the animal form of a big black dog.

"I see your family has a knack for naming their children after stars." she noted with a small chuckle, making Draco smile.

"We kinda do. My aunt Andromeda, also a traitor, was named after a constellation that holds a whole galaxy, the one nearest to our Milky Way."

"Wow... Hey, is your name a constellation too?"

The blond boy nodded, concentrating to find it among the stars. "There. It's one of the earliest to be defined, I think. It means 'Dragon' in Latin, but the Greeks defined it as a serpent."

"It does resemble a snake more than a dragon." Elsa noted, and Draco shrugged.

"I'd rather be called a dragon than a snake though."

The Ravenclaw laughed and playfully nudged his arm. "Yeah. A dragon is way manlier." She agreed jokingly, making Draco roll his eyes and grin.

"Do you have a favorite constellation?" Elsa asked finally.

"Not really. Well, technically, yes. It's a constellation too, but I like the x-ray better."

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "X-Ray? In space?" She was pretty surprised that a pureblood wizard with no real connection to nowadays' electronic devices was interested in things like x-rays.

Draco chuckled. "Yeah, Scorpius X-1 is the first x-ray source outside the solar system. That's way cooler than the sign." He paused for a minute. "Well, mom thinks the sign is cooler, since it's hers. She's a Scorpio."

He rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Oh, and I also like Hyperion. It's one of the moons of Saturn. Don't ask me why, though. I just think it sounds cool."

Elsa laughed, shaking her head. "Well, it does have a nice ring to it." She agreed. "What's your sign?"

"Gemini. Riiiight... there." He traced the constellation, hesitating for a moment. "Do you want to hear a story about it? It's one of the rare cases astronomy and mythology actually agree."

Elsa smiled and nodded eagerly.

"Two stars in the constellation are called Castor and Pollux. They were twins back then, known for their adventurous behavior. They had different fathers. Pollux, whose father was Zeus, was immortal, while Castor was a mere human."

Elsa nodded, listening closely. She didn't bother with the oddity of twins from different fathers, as it was only a story.

"They fought in many wars and battles together, were inseparable. But when Castor, being mortal, eventually died, Pollux was devastated. He didn't want to continue living without his beloved brother, but there was nothing he could do, since he was immortal. He went to his father, Zeus, and asked for help. Since he didn't want to kill off his son, Zeus decided to just make Castor immortal too. So they could live together forever as the constellation of Gemini."

"That's so beautiful..." Elsa breathed, watching the constellation in awe.

Draco nodded and turned his head to look at the girl next to him, smiling involuntarily. She looked absolutely stunning with the stars glimmering in her wide eyes, face full of wonder and awe.

"Yes... beautiful..." Elsa smiled too, unaware it was directed at her.

**xxx**

“Oh, I don't know...” Narcissa sighed. “I don't think I like it anymore. It looks so plain!”

Elsa had given in to Mrs Malfoy's begging and tried on the dress she had gotten for Christmas.

She'd have to shorten it a little, she noticed, with how the hem dragged on the floor.

“But the color suits her.” Draco mused, tilting his head at her.

“It will suffice for the ball.” Elsa waved her off. She was rather annoyed by the slightly puffed out sleeves, but she hasn't quite learned how to change that yet.

Besides, she didn't want to insult Narcissa by completely changing the dress that's been so thoughtfully picked out for her.

“Maybe something with a little lace... no. No lace. Something flouncy, perhaps... We need to go shopping.”

“That's really not necessary. I can put a few designs on it.”

“You need a glittering necklace at least. An eye catcher.”

“She _is_ the eye catcher, mother.”

Both Elsa and Draco blushed when the Slytherin realized what he just said.

Narcissa couldn't fight off a grin.

**xxx**

Elsa tightened her grip on Draco's arm as they followed Lucius through a sea of tents and people.

Despite not liking the noise and smell of what appeared to be a million sweaty wizards and witches, it was fascinating all the same.

The logistics would be quite interesting.

Lucius was held up by two ministry workers and held a pleasant chat with them.

“This is disgusting.” Draco scrunched up his face as they watched a wizard with green paint all over himself run around half naked.

“I don't get why they're already celebrating, the game hasn't even started yet.”

“Team spirit, I'd say.”

“Elsa! Oh wow, good to see you here!” Elsa blinked at Anthony, who fought his way through to them.

He had dyed his hair green and wore a shamrock covered cape. When he talked you could see his green colored tongue.

“Hey Anthony.” Elsa greeted him with a smile, hiding a giggle behind her hand at his appearance. “Supporting Ireland?”

“Aw, what gave it away?” Anthony posed dramatically with his cape. His happy demeanor faltered a little when his gaze caught Draco's.

“Malfoy.”

Draco's arm came up automatically to rest over Elsa's shoulders, making the princess raise a brow at the gesture.

“Goldstein.”

“What's your team?”

“Sorry to disappoint, but I'm all for Bulgaria.”

Anthony scoffed. “Psh, Ireland has a team of experts. Bulgaria is completely dependent on Krum.”

“If-”

“Okay, cut it out you two. It's enough I have to watch the game, I don't need any more quidditch talk today.”

“You act as if it was a punishment! This is the world cup!” Anthony exclaimed.

Elsa rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

“Where are you sitting? My grandma got me and my dad a seat last minute, unfortunately only way low. My neck's gonna be killing me from looking up all the time.”

“Elsa and I got prime seats, right in a box with the minister himself. He personally invited us.” Draco bragged, wincing when Elsa elbowed him.

“At least you're gonna have the best view when someone crashes. I heard that happens quite often when Bulgaria plays.” She told her fellow Ravenclaw to cheer him up a little.

Anthony glared at Draco, but smiled when he faced Elsa again. “I guess so, yeah. Anyways, have fun, I'll see you in Hogwarts.”

When he was out of sight, the two had to catch up with Lucius. Elsa glanced sideways at her companion.

“Was that really necessary?”

“What's wrong with showing off a little?” Draco rolled his eyes. “And your secret's not endangered. Father is a high position ministry worker, he could've gotten the tickets, that's what they're gonna think anyway.”

“There's no need to make him feel inferior just because you're in a better position.” She crossed her arms.

The possessive gesture of putting his arm around her shoulder would've made Anthony feel a little down too, since she _knew_ he had a crush on her.

However, she wouldn't tell that to Draco.

“It was not about that.”

“Really, because to me it sounded like you were showing off with your prime seats.”

“It was necessary to show him he doesn't stand a chance.” Draco glared back to where Anthony had vanished to.

Elsa frowned up at him. “What are you on about?”

“Oh come on, don't tell me sharp and observant Miss Winters hasn't noticed he's got the hots for you.”

“The...?” The princess sighed and rubbed the crease between her eyes. “I know he likes me, but he's just a friend. I don't have time for crushes and such.”

She reached up to flick Draco's forehead. “ _And_ I don't have the patience for over-protective friends.”

The Slytherin's lips vanished to a thin line, but didn't say anything to that. He wouldn't have to, either way, because they reached the gigantic stadium then.

Elsa considered questioning his sudden silence, but was rather captivated by the magical built seats. So high they should've tilted or fallen completely by now, and yet able to hold so many people.

When they found their box, the Weasleys were already there with Harry and Hermione.

Ron refused to look at her, but her other two friends waved. The twins were making a bet as far as she could see, while Ginny playfully stuck her green-dyed tongue out to Draco, laughing when he scowled.

Arthur and Lucius were having a little not so nice chat, judging their expressions, but all in all it was okay. Elsa had feared the confrontation would've been worse, especially between Draco and Ron.

They were behaving, though.

Elsa wanted to talk to her friends badly, but it could ruin Ron's mood even more, which would drag them all down, so she opted to sit with Draco and observe the pitch instead.

“So is it true what Anthony said? That Bulgaria only relies on Krum?”

He took his time to answer, shrugging eventually. “The Bulgarians are too single-minded during the game, while Ireland is way more flexible and diverse. With Krum as their seeker they can win, though. He brought them to the final single-handedly, literally.”

“Is he really that good?”

“He definitely is that good. You'll see in a few minutes. He's an artist on the broom.”

When there was a signal that the teams were arriving, Elsa noticed the majority of the male audience cover up their ears.

She frowned at that, but didn't have time to wonder for long because suddenly a group of breathtakingly beautiful women entered the pitch.

Elsa leaned forward to see them better and wished she had brought binoculars.

They had silvery blonde hair, similar to hers, and creamy pale skin that seemed to glow. Their singing and dancing was mesmerizing.

Seeing those men, who hadn't covered their ears, about to do stupidly dangerous things made Elsa sure that she was seeing real-life veelas.

That gave her a burst of excitement. Isabelle Flocon had been a quarter-veela, so Elsa had at least _some_ veela blood too.

She had no idea how pronounced the line was, either way it was interesting.

The Bulgarian team flying in was startling her out of her thoughts. When Viktor Krum was introduced, Elsa tilted her head. He didn't quite look like a seeker in build, with quite thick muscles as if he was doing weight-lifting, and he appeared rather tall.

“Blaise said he's totally brooding and quiet in school, despite being swarmed by girls permanently.” Draco informed her.

“He's still in school?”

“He'll start his last year in Durmstrang in September. He's the youngest professional seeker in history... he's just that good.”

Elsa gave him an amused glance. “Sounds like you have a little crush on him.”

Draco's face heated up with indignation. He faced the pitch again when Ireland's team entered. “Shut up, Winters.”

After the surprising outcome of the game, Krum catching the snitch but Ireland winning, the Malfoys and Elsa made their way out of the stadium.

Lucius was held back by Minister Fudge to talk about one thing or the other.

“You take Bulgaria's defeat pretty well.”

Draco shrugged, scowling at a few loud green-colored fans shoving past them.

“Krum was still great.”

A few louder screams that had nothing to do with cheering were startling them.

There were masked figures by the tents, casting spells that created chaos.

Fudge began to panic and hurried towards the commotion, while Lucius' face blanched so suddenly Elsa was sure it had happened magically.

“Father, what-”

The two teens were grabbed and apparated with then, Lucius disappearing right after again without a single word.

Elsa rubbed her shoulder, wide eyes on Draco. “What was that about?”

“No idea... maybe mother knows more...”

Narcissa did know quite well what was going on, but opted to pretend she didn't. If Elsa hadn't studied people's reactions and tells of lying, she probably would've believed her clueless attitude.

**xxx**

The mood at Malfoy Manor was pretty dampened then. Lucius was gone for most of the time, and when he was there he was a weird mixture between scared and ecstatic.

  
Narcissa had an intimidated air about her, but tried everything in her power to mask it by busying herself as much as she could.

And while Draco had already brushed off the weird ending of the World Cup fiasco, he had started to distance himself from Elsa.

Elsa didn't quite dare to question his sudden weird behavior, figuring he got tired of having her around 24/7. It _was_ different, of course, than being in school, where they could also spend time with their other friends.

So Elsa played more with Marshmallow and wrote to her friends. She also used the extra time alone to catch up with her queen training books, since she couldn't quite do so with others around.

She was almost through with them all and had a hard time deciding whether she should write her foster parents to send her the next stack.

Maybe she could use the few months until Christmas break to start learning french.

As much as she didn't want to get back home again, she missed Anna. And she needed to search through her father's study to maybe find out where the evil kingdom was located to know which country's magical law she needed to study.

There was also a chance the king had a copy of the dreaded contract.

She really wanted to ask Harry about Buckbeak, but since Sirius Black was on the run, she of course couldn't just write about it. And she didn't even know if Harry was in contact with Black.

However, Buckbeak was a capable hippogriff, he could take good care of himself, she figured.

Narcissa had distracted herself and Elsa by taking her shopping, finally having a girl to shop for. She wouldn't take no for an answer and had the time of her life browsing through various dresses.

“I already have the dress you got me for Christmas, I wouldn't know when to wear these.” Elsa said with a smile.

“I know... but we could get you other clothes. For casual wear.” Narcissa sighed longingly at the women's section of Madam Malkin's.

Elsa could tell her mind was very clouded and weighed down by whatever was going on, so she held up a long-sleeved purple blouse with a black ribbon at the collar.

“I like this one.”

Narcissa looked like a kid on Christmas morning and so they spent the day picking out various clothes for Elsa.

“My, these would look _so_ good on you!”

Elsa raised an eyebrow in amusement while she turned around to see what else the woman had found.

They were silver earrings, with a white gem in them. According to the price tag it wasn't a cheap gem.

“The gem changes color, depending on your mood.”

“I don't even have my ears pierced, I wouldn't be able to wear them.”

“Then we just have them pierced, every young girl should be able to wear earrings!”

Elsa was starting to regret humoring her. Apparently not having had a daughter has left a hole in Narcissa's chest that she intended to fill with the princess.

“I'm not sure I want to.” What would the king and queen say?

On the other hand, did she care what they thought? There were no rules about earrings. And the ones Narcissa was holding up were really pretty.

“You know what, sure. Let's do it.”

**xxx**

On the morning of their departure, Draco took Elsa aside.

“Okay, you remember that Blaise has transferred to Hogwarts, right?”

“Yes?”

“Thing is, I haven't really seen him or talked to him in ages, only ever written. And just because I am totally cool with you being muggleborn doesn't mean he will, too...”

“It's fine, you can just tell him my cover story.” Elsa tilted her head. “Or is there another problem...?”

Draco scratched the back of his head. “I think it would be good if I check out his stance first, so I can judge his reaction... and...”

Catching on, Elsa patted his shoulder. “Alright. I'll keep to my other friends. Let me know when you're sure we are allowed to be friends again.”

“Woah, that's not what I meant! We're still- I mean-”

Elsa laughed at his flustered reaction. “Relax. Like I said, it's fine. I haven't really talked to my friends all summer, I'm gonna catch up with them and won't bother you until you're able to 'judge his reaction'.”

In the train, she sat with Ginny and Luna in a compartment with Becky and Cho.

She wasn't sure whether Ron was ready to forgive her yet, so she decided to stay on the safe side.

The topics of the girls were rather grating on her nerves, though, which was why Elsa rather tried to figure out how to pronounce a few french words with the help of a book.

Quidditch was a big conversation point, of course, and now there were also boys coming up.

“Viktor Krum is so hot.” Becky sighed dreamily.

“Oh please,” Cho scoffed, “he's bulky and not all that smart. Plus, he has these gigantic eyebrows.”

“Yes, they give him character. Not everyone fancies a pretty face like you, Miss Chang.”

“Cedric is not just a pretty face, he's a genius and has a great personality.”

“Maybe Viktor has a great personality too, you don't know him personally, do you?”

“Neither do you. And you won't get to know him either.”

“Let a girl dream, will you?”

“How are things going with Draco, by the way?”

Elsa looked up from her book. “Huh?”

“Duh, you spent the summer with him? I bet Anthony's heartbroken.”

Raising an eyebrow, Elsa blinked. “It wasn't anything special. He's my friend...”

“Oh come on, he's not just a friend. Even a blind man can tell he's all over you.”

“I have no idea what you're talking about.”

Cho and Becky exchanged a look. “Friends don't plan sweet scavenger hunts on Valentine's day for each other.”

“He only wanted to distract me so I'd relax a little.”

“How can you be so clueless?” Becky's dark eyes were wide.

“I'm not clueless, we're _friends_. Could we please talk about something else now?”

However, the girls were quick back on their track when the train arrived at Hogsmeade station.

There were lots of girls gathered around Draco and a dark-skinned boy, quickly identified as Blaise Zabini.

“Look, how he just lets those pugs cling to his arms. Totally enjoying the limelight.” Becky hissed.

Elsa rolled her eyes. “He can talk to whoever he likes. If he wants them hanging onto him, he _can_.”

“Don't tell me you're not jealous at all.”

“I'm not.”

She couldn't quite deny that there was a little annoyance, though that was more because Pansy was among the fan club.

Just a few months ago Draco had threatened to kill her for her mean pranks and the thing with Buckbeak, and suddenly he didn't mind her clinging to him anymore.

“Well, I knew he wasn't as perfect as everybody thought. Just a player.” Becky waved off. “Anthony will be happy to hear the news.”

Elsa didn't comment on that. Let them talk, who cares?

Even if she was interested in anyone, which she wasn't, there was no time for it either way.

It had no future, with the arranged marriage. And even if she found a way out of it, there was still the whole princess thing going on. Not everyone was cut out to be a future queen's king.

Really, the sudden gnawing feeling in her gut had to be her dislike of Pansy.

In the Great Hall, Elsa was kinda relieved that the Ravenclaw table was at the far right side this year. She sat with her back towards the rest of the hall so she didn't have to see the Slytherin or her Gryffindor friends, or more like the scowling of Ron.

The Sorting was quite interesting this time, since Draco's friend Blaise, a fourth year, would be sorted too.

So far, Ravenclaw had the least new students, and it didn't seem to change.

“How are we supposed to gather enough housepoints with so little students? It's not fair.” Becky pouted.

“Less people to mess things up.” Cho cheered her up. “Oh, look, it's the fourth year's turn.”

“Mh, he looks good.” Alice giggled along with Padma.

As expected, he was sorted into Slytherin and took his place at the table with his classmates.

Dumbledore officially announced the Triwizard Tournament for this year, and that their guests, a few 17-year-old and over students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, would arrive in October.

The news were enough to for the students to overcome the disappointment of the quidditch season not taking place.

Since Lupin's werewolf-secret had been uncovered by Snape, he couldn't be their DADA teacher anymore. That's why an auror and friend of Dumbledore, Alastor Moody, would take over this year.

Elsa was quite creeped out by his gaze and appearance. The magical eye was moved freely around, focusing on the Gryffindor table before swishing again.

There was a flicker towards her, but Elsa quickly turned to her food before she could see any more. A creepy DADA teacher was _not_ what she needed this year.

“Did you get new powers over the summer?” Luna asked her quietly.

Elsa raised a brow at her. “... Why would I?”

“You powers got stronger, didn't they? Maybe they're still growing.”

“I didn't even use them at all. Too dangerous.”

“That's a pity... I'd want to use them as often as I could.”

“... I do miss it.” Elsa admitted. And she really did.

Maybe she could sneak outside more often, now that the dementors were gone. Though it could be more difficult with the foreign students roaming around.

**xxx**

In a way, Elsa felt like a coward. She had found herself hoping she'd share as little classes with Gryffindor as possible, to avoid confrontation with Ron.

It was stupid. He was her first friend, and just because of something silly like this the friendship wavered and morphed into something difficult.

Staying apart in Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures and Potions was easy with so many students, but it was difficult with only two houses sharing a class.

When she studied her new timetable the next morning, she found she only shared DADA with the Gryffindors alone. That was good, maybe she was lucky and Professor Moody would leave her alone with Harry in the same class.

As inconvenient as it was for her friend, Harry tended to draw attention to himself.

Transfiguration and Charms were shared with the Slytherins this year, which was okay. McGonagall would put an end to stupidly giggling girls that clung to Draco.

Charms was a different matter, but there she could distract herself just fine from it.

Elsa was glad Pansy didn't choose Arithmancy last year, so at least she didn't have to put up with her there.

That morning she had an evilly triumphant grin on her face, getting a sick satisfaction of one-upping Elsa. As if the princess would stoop to that level.

First on today's list was Herbology, followed by Care of Magical Creatures.

Eyeing the raining ceiling, Elsa sighed unhappily. The whole morning spent outside in this weather, just what she needed.

At least she had a double dose of Arithmancy this afternoon, so she had something to look forward to.

And that was something she desperately needed, with what Professor Sprout had in store for their first lesson of the year.

They were to squeeze pus out of plants that looked like black slugs and fill it in little bottles. It was sickening, and more than once Elsa felt her stomach rebel, causing her to gulp multiple times to keep the queasiness at bay.

Unfortunately Hagrid wasn't any more merciful and introduced them to Blast-Ended Skrewts. They were pale and slimy, with legs sticking out in weird places of their winding bodies. From time to time there was a little explosion from one end of them, propelling them forward.

If this was going to continue like that, Elsa thought, she'll might have to drop Care of Magical Creatures.

“You look like you're about to throw up.”

Elsa looked up, unable to normalize her disgusted face, when Harry sat down next to her, eyeing their crate with the Blast-Ended Skrewts.

“I just might. First Herbology and now this...”

“Herbology was definitely worse.”

They worked in silence for a while. “Harry?” Elsa whispered, leaning a little closer. “Are you in contact with Sirius Black?”

Harry blinked. “Yeah. He's fine... at least he _was_. I'm still waiting for his reply.”

“Is Buckbeak with him?”

“Yes, though he's pretty restless from what Sirius told me.”

“At least he's alright...” Elsa smiled in relief.

**xxx**

Elsa could only stare when Hermione blabbered on about house elves and their non-existent rights during dinner.

“... What?”

Hermione pulled out a box with buttons, parchment and a writing feather.

“Here, you're going to be my co-president. Just sign here, and I need two sickles for the button.”

“I thought house elves _want_ to work...”

“Yes, but not under horrible conditions. Did you know that they cook our food? Every day, every meal. No single day off!”

“Oh wow, I haven't even thought about that...”

Hermione nodded gravely. “Exactly. Nobody stops and thinks, and that's why we need to work together.”

She tapped the parchment with a finger.

Shrugging, Elsa put her name under Hermione's and gave her two sickles to receive a S.P.E.W.-button, which she pinned to her robes.

“I doubt you're gonna have much luck with the Slytherins, but maybe you can persuade Draco to pull a few strings.”

“At the moment we're keeping a little distance, to be honest. He wants to make sure his friend is okay with me being muggleborn.”

The Gryffindor frowned. “How stupid is that?”

“To him it's important, and I don't mind. I'm gonna talk to the Ravenclaws about S.P.E.W.”

Hermione shrugged. “Thanks. By the way, I think you could sit with us again. Ron won't react too badly, you've been friends for years.”

“Mh. Maybe I will tomorrow. As long as he doesn't bite my head off.”

* * *


	17. Chapter 17

* * *

Elsa was dreading their first DADA lesson of the year. Moody was a creepy man, with his magical eye and in general.

Those who already had a class with him were completely amazed by him, so he couldn't be too bad, could he?

His weird staring was probably because he's been told of her royal status; she really should force herself to relax a little more.

In the classroom, she saw the majority of the boys, including Ron and Harry, filing to the front seats.

Since she and Ron hadn't quite talked things out yet, and since Moody was making her feel uncomfortable, Elsa opted to stay in the back, sitting next to Alice behind Padma and their friend.

The three unforgivable curses weren't supposed to be on the schedule, there was only a brief mention later in their DADA book, but their new professor seemed to think it was crucial that they'd know them by heart. So they could defend themselves against them.

A spider was the victim of the horrible curses. Being forced to act as Moody wished, it was flung across the room to give the students scares.

Padma gave a screech when it landed on her desk, amusing the class greatly.

Elsa found it rather unnecessary.

Watching the spider writhe in pain under the Cruciatus Curse was horrible, especially seeing the sick satisfaction in their professor's gaze.

The killing curse put an end to the spider's torture, and made Elsa's dislike for Moody grow.

Unfortunately there were plenty who liked him for his directness and rough demeanor, so unlike Quirrel or Lockhart.

For their next lesson he really dared to perform the Imperius Curse on them and their exercise was to try and fight it off.

Neville was performing acrobatics under the influence of the curse, while Padma suddenly blurted out that she and Parvati wore hair extensions and another Gryffindor girl suddenly spoke perfect Chinese.

Some were acting like animals, for example, all to the amusement of Moody and the majority of the class.

Harry managed to partly fight off the curse, crashing right into a desk instead of jumping on it like Moody had wanted him to.

Elsa dreaded her turn, but intended on making the best of it. There was a sense of weightlessness then as she stood in front of the class.

For once she didn't have to think, didn't have to be in control.

“ _But I have to be in control...”_ Her inner voice reminded her. _“Conceal, don't feel.”_

A foreign voice echoed inside her head. _“Tell us your secret.”_

The desire to follow that command was strong. Finally let it all out and don't bother with secrets anymore.

However, she couldn't. It was too dangerous. Nobody can know.

“ _You're hiding something, come on.”_

Elsa pressed her lips tightly together. Did the voice – no, Professor Moody – know? No, he couldn't know her secret. It was just his weird curiosity, he probably saw _something_ with his magical eye and wanted to know.

Why did everyone have to meddle with her life?! As if cutting ropes, she faced Moody with a dark glare, mouth in a thin line. The haze cleared.

The professor seemed impressed, clearing his throat.

“Interesting. Must be one hell of a secret.”

Since it was the end of the class, Elsa didn't bother with a response and hurried away when they were dismissed.

She had to be way more careful. And keep her secret safe.

The following DADA classes were rather unspectacular. Moody seemed to have accepted he wasn't getting anything out of her and instead kept a magical eye on Harry.

**xxx**

"Can you tell me again why we're hiding?" Draco rolled his eyes as he ducked behind a statue with Blaise, carefully peaking out from behind it.

"Are you seriously asking that? Didn't you see the horde of chicks following us around?"

"Dude, if a horde of girls is following you, you don't flee. You enjoy it. Why run away when you can have whoever you want?"

"I don't  _ want _ any of those hormone-crazed hysterical bitches..." The blond mumbled, eyes never leaving the corridor in front of them.

"It's not like you have to _marry_ them." It was Blaise's turn to roll his eyes.

"You know my parents. They've tried to engage me to Pansy from the very beginning."

Blaise let out a sigh and shook his head. Draco could be so stubborn when he wanted to. Deciding to let the topic slide for now he moved so he could also watch the corridor.

"What are you looking at?" he finally asked when there was nothing interesting to see, aside from several students walking by.

"No-..."

When Draco failed to finish his sentence, a stupid grin taking over his features, Blaise raised an eyebrow, looking back to the hallway.

Some Ravenclaws were just passing by, probably coming from their tower.

An Asian and a brunette ahead, with two blondes right behind them, followed by an Indian girl and two more giggling brunettes.

The two in the front were bickering about something he couldn't quite catch.

The shorter blond was reading some colorful magazine, holding it upside down and showing something to the girl next to her, who had a frown on her face.

The three in the back were appearing to be talking about crushes, blushing and laughing.

It were mere seconds until they rounded the corner, leaving Blaise to wonder who exactly left his friend to act like a love-struck fool.

Speaking of Draco, the boy was leaning back, trying to force the smile off his face. It went way faster when he realized Blaise was staring at him.

"Okay, this has to be the gayest thing a guy ever says, but... Oh. My. God. You are in love."

Draco glared at him, a blush coloring his pale cheeks. "It's not really love. We're fourteen! It's just some sort of crush..."

Blaise's eyebrows almost touched his hairline when his friend didn't even try to deny it.

Amusement etched its way on his face as he turned to look at where the girls just left, as if he could still see them.

"Who is it? The chatty brunette? A little too tomboy for my taste, but hey, I won't judge."

"What... no way. I'm not talking to you about _that_." Draco's embarrassed blush was worth the glare, Blaise thought.

It was a shame that he wouldn't just tell his best friend. No, instead the blond left their hiding place and practically fled from his friend.

The dark skinned boy rubbed his chin as he watched him run off, he needed a different approach.

"So... I've heard Draco has a crush on some Ravenclaw..." Blaise had tried to get Draco to talk about it, but the blond was being quite stubborn.

It was a trait they shared, so Blaise wasn't about to give up. So far Hogwarts had been rather boring to him, aside from the Triwizard Tournament that's going to take place soon.

Draco's little love life, as shocking as it was Draco even  _ had _ a love life, was the best way to amuse himself.

But since his friend didn't want to talk, Blaise decided it was time to get the heavy weapons. Which meant asking Pansy.

He had made sure he was alone with the girl, because he had a feeling Draco would skin him alive if he found out he was talking to her about him.

The escapade, their argument last year, had only reached him through Draco's letters, and the blond hadn't been very sharing when it came to information about it.

"Oh please, don't mention that stupid bitch in my presence. It's just a tiny little crush. A way for him to kill time until he gathers up the courage to ask me out."

Okay, maybe asking Pansy was the wrong approach. Apparently she hated this girl, seeing her as a danger with her own crush on Draco in the way.

"Ah yeah. Who exactly is it? He won't tell me."

Pansy scrunched up her face, making it even more unattractive than it already was.

"Why do you even wanna know?"

Blaise had a hard time staying patient with her. "Oh, you know me. I'm curious. And if I don't approve of her either I could talk Draco out of going after her."

That was the hard truth. If this girl, whoever she was, wasn't good enough for his friend, he would go miles to keep him away from her.

Pansy seemed pleased to have a potential ally in her wrath against the girl.

"... Believe me, she's definitely not worthy of him. She's a mere halfblood. Not even wealthy. And the name, Elsa Winters. Psh, as stupid as herself."

"Well, if she's in Ravenclaw I doubt she's as stupid as you say..."

"She is! She's making friends with stupid people, that makes her stupid too. She's even close with Loony Lovegood. Another freak in Ravenclaw, even though she clearly doesn't belong there."

Blaise had his eyes narrowed in concentration, looking at nothing in particular. It's been only a few weeks since the term had started and he barely knew people from other houses.

From what he saw and heard, the Gryffindors were the Slytherins' sworn enemies, especially since Draco's first year when famous Harry Potter refused to befriend him.

A guy named Neville Longbottom and a mudblood called Hermione Granger were two of the favorite punching bags of Pansy and her gang.

To Blaise's surprise Draco seemed to keep out of those bully attacks. There was even a rumor that he helped Longbottom out one or two times.

Anyways, Blaise didn't really care about the other houses, not even bothering to learn the names of the classmates in his year.

Loony Lovegood sounded familiar, he had overheard Pansy talking about her some time ago.

She was said to be a completely insane girl. And Elsa Winters... hm. This year they didn't share many classes with Ravenclaw, but he believed she was in their year.

"... And she thinks she's so beautiful with her long blond hair. I bet it's dyed."

Blaise had completely tuned out Pansy's rambling, but the last part he heard.

A blonde. That cut it down to the two girls in the middle. Since the smaller one probably was a year or two under them and she had been reading a magazine upside down – which was really insane – that meant it was the other girl.

Blaise couldn't fight the triumphant grin when he figured out who Draco was crushing on. This was going to be a lot of fun... for Blaise.

"Tell me more..."

That evening at dinner time, Blaise casually leaned over to his friend, trying to keep the smirk off his face.

Draco let out an annoyed sigh and concentrated on his food to keep from glaring at Blaise, not about to give him the satisfaction.

"Still not going to tell me?"

"No." Draco kept his face blank, becoming wary by the look on his friend's face.

"Will you tell me if I can guess who it is?"

"No." It had been easy to keep the others from teasing him about his crush, but Blaise was a completely different story. If he found out, there was no way in hell he would ever hear the end of it.

Mostly because Blaise was the only one of his fellow Slytherins who wasn't scared of him when he got angry.

"Come on. I'm sure I can find the girl that stole your heart." Blaise ignored his friend's glare and let their shoulders touch as he lifted his head a little higher to see the Ravenclaw table better. "So... you already said it's not that little brunette..."

The smirk turned into a wide grin as he watched Draco from the corner of his eye. The blond's face twisted in realization before he buried it in his hands, rubbing his forehead with his fingertips.

"Who told you?" He's known Blaise long enough to be able to tell he already found out and was just going to tease him about it for fun.

"Pansy, of course." He patted his friend's shoulder. "But it's not like you made it that big of a secret from what I heard, Mr. Romantic Valentine."

"Oh Merlin." Draco sank further in his seat.

"Don't worry, I won't tease you about it... much."

Draco elbowed him in the ribs when he laughed and sat straighter again.

The food was abandoned for the time-being as his eyes found Elsa at the Ravenclaw table, laughing about something Luna said.

Blaise followed his gaze and shook his head. "Damn, that girl really must be special if she can get you to act like that."

"She  _is_ special. I don't know what it is, but I feel so... so drawn to her. There's something in her eyes. They're so deep and just so stunningly blue. She always has this mysterious aura around her, like there's even more to her than she already shows. So many things to find out." 

Draco let out a small sigh. "I just feel better around her, you know? She actually makes me think about what I'm doing, and I actually  _ want _ to be a better person for her, only to see her smile. Ugh, her smile. It makes something flutter in my chest, and I get all warm and fuzzy." 

The blond cleared his throat and shook his flushed head when he realized he'd been rambling while staring at Elsa.

Fortunately most of the Slytherins around them had already left, so no one else could hear his embarrassing speech.

"Okay, I changed my mind.  _ That _ was the gayest thing a guy ever said." Silver eyes rolled, but refused to look at his friend, who had his face in a frown. 

"But seriously, how can you say it's just a crush when you feel so strongly for her?"

Draco shrugged. As much as Blaise was going to tease him, he had to admit it was nice to have someone to really talk to about it.

"I'm not sure she feels the same, or even something similar. She repeatedly called us 'just friends', and like she really means it..." His mouth twisted.

“I don't know if I can get out of that friend zone.”

"Dude... are you  _ scared _ of asking her out? The Draco Malfoy, scared of asking a girl out?"

"I'm not scared!" Draco defended himself, stabbing the meat on his plate with way more force than necessary.

"Then go for it! Isn't there this Yule Ball thingy around Christmas? Go ask her to go with you. And you have to make it clear that it's not as friends." Blaise shrugged.

“If she agrees, there's definitely a chance for you. If not, you know and can at least hope to stay friends with her.”

Draco frowned at his plate. He had planned to ask her ever since their summer vacation a few weeks ago, but he's been putting it off as long as possible. Now that Blaise was starting to taunt him too, he couldn't be a coward any longer.

"Fine, I'll ask her to be my date to Yule Ball."

“Have you tried making her jealous yet?”

“Why do you think did I let Pansy cling to me?”

“Bad choice, really. Pansy sounds like a psycho when talking about her.”

Draco shrugged one shoulder, glaring at his plate. “She's been a bitch towards Elsa, especially since last year. I'm gonna crush her like a bug if she's harming her again.”

“Overprotective much?”

The silver eyes of his best friend were intense as they met his. “When it comes to her? Yes, definitely.”

“Damn, you got it bad.”

When his friend didn't even deny it, Blaise knew he was totally screwed. And with how he was still skirting around the girl without approaching her after weeks now, there had to be done something.

A few days later, Blaise had decided what to do.

He found the Ravenclaw alone in the library, reading what appeared to be a book about learning french.

With a carefully masked expression, he sat down across from her, observing her reactions closely.

After a few seconds, she looked up at him.

“... Can I help you?”

Putting on a smirk, Blaise shrugged one shoulder. “I was hoping so. I'm Blaise Zabini. New here.”

Elsa pursed her lips. “Transferred from Durmstrang. The year started five weeks ago and we share several classes. I know who you are.”

“And yet I know so little about you.”

She raised an eyebrow. “There's not much to know about me.”

“I heard something entirely different.”

Elsa took her time replying, busying herself by marking a spot in her book.

He was Draco's best friend, it was likely they talked about her. On the other hand, she had no idea what others, like Pansy, said about her.

“So you're one to believe random rumors?”

“I prefer building my own opinion. However, that's not why I'm here. Like I said, I was hoping you could help me.”

“With what?”

“In Durmstrang we learned things differently. Not to mention the heavy accents made things even more difficult. I thought, since I heard you were quite smart, that you could help me.”

Elsa blinked. It wasn't unusual that her classmates asked for her help. But Blaise was a Slytherin, and his best friend's marks were nearly perfect. So why would he come to her of all people?

Especially since Draco himself was still keeping his distance.

It could be some sort of trap, so she should be careful.

“Sure. Anything specific you need help with?”

“Oh, Astronomy maybe and Transfiguration. And Arithmancy is killing me. I really regret taking the class.”

“Then why don't you drop it?”

“I need two, and before I run around with beasts, suffocate in perfume or study muggles I rather stay theoretical.”

The blonde pulled out her timetable, sighing as she looked over it and all of her added scribbles that filled the spare time.

“I could make some time for you on Thursday after classes. Though we'll probably need all the time for Arithmancy and Transfiguration. Maybe you can ask Draco to help you with Astronomy instead.”

“He's always been a little nerd when it comes to the stars, that hasn't really changed, has it?”

The question was innocent enough, but Elsa knew Draco wasn't going around and boasting about his passions. Blaise was obviously trying to find out if they were closer.

“I just know that his grades in Astronomy are top. And he's in your house, so you can work together after curfew.”

Blaise pursed his lips. “Hm. That's true I guess. Anyways, Thursday is fine with me. Let's meet here?”

“Alright.”

“And hey, as a thank you I'll help you with learning french.”

“You speak french?” Elsa asked in surprise.

“Un peu.” Blaise grinned. “My mom's third husband was from Toulouse. I know how to pronounce most of the words at least.”

Elsa smiled, this was going quite well. “Great.”

The following weeks the princess found out that Blaise was an interesting fellow.

He and Draco shared a few traits, though there were also quite a few differences.

For one, he wasn't as quidditch crazy as Draco. And he was more one for observing than actually doing things.

And with Draco somehow _still_ keeping his distance, he was a good sounding board when none of her other friends was available.

Blaise was quite approving of Elsa so far. She was quick-thinking and quite clever, with enough wit to keep up with his jabs and hidden meanings. It was interesting indeed. He could understand how Draco was crushing on her.

“What the hell do you think you're doing?!”

A dark eyebrow raised in amusement as Blaise held up his hands in defeat when his best friend was pushing him against a wall.

“Going to my room?”

“Don't fuck with me, Zabini! You know what I mean!”

“No, thanks, I'm more of a ladies man.”

It took all of his will power to not start laughing at Draco's rage-pink face and a glare that sent younger Slytherins running.

“Bulstrode saw you with Elsa in the library after classes!”

“Wow, your sources are slow. We've met for weeks, and you noticed just now?”

“Blaise...”

This time he couldn't hold back his laughter. “Chill, she's not my type. Too goodie-two-shoes. I was just checking her out. Y'know, to find out if you two are compatible. With the nice side effect of tutoring.”

“It's none of your business, and I don't care if you think we're compatible or not. Stay away from her.”

“Are you telling me you don't want your best friend and your future girlfriend to get along? That would be really awkward at your wedding.”

“Shut up.”

**xxx**

Hogwarts had been thoroughly scrubbed for the upcoming arrival of the other schools at the end of October.

Flitwick was working over-time to prepare the choir for the Halloween feast to make their school look good, and the other professors were trying to brief the students to be on their best behavior.

Ron had begun to accept Elsa's presence, since Hermione and Harry were still friends with her. It was a start, so the princess didn't complain.

She was busy learning a few french terms, hopeful to find out more about her real mother. Especially since Beauxbatons was Isabelle's old school.

Blaise's help did wonders, though she was still far from actually speaking, aside from maybe a few basic terms.

On the October 30, the overall mood could be described as excited. The student body was solely talking about the other schools. How they would look like, how many of their pupils would come along and so on.

Elsa was excited too. She had researched that Madame Maxime was the headmistress of Beauxbatons, has been for over 20 years, which meant she had known Isabelle personally.

If there was someone who could tell her more about her mother, it was Maxime. Of course it had to be done carefully, as not to raise suspicions.

Tilting her head at her reflection in the bathroom's mirror, Elsa wondered how much she looked like her real mother.

The only parent she clearly saw in her dream was her father, and she thought they didn't look all that much alike, aside from the eyes maybe.

Her hair was a silvery platinum blonde, in opposite to his purely white hair. The pale skin they shared, though her mother could've also had very light skin.

Anyhow, she wondered if Maxime would notice any similarities and could connect the dots. That could be dangerous indeed. Who knew how she would react?

On the other hand, she could take it with grace. One way or another, her curiosity was way too strong to just cowardly leave it be.

Later that afternoon, the students did as instructed by their heads of houses and brought their bags to their dormitories, before gathering in front of the main entrance.

They stood in lines, from first years to seventh years on the steps.

It was quite chilly, and they had to wait for a very long time. There was lots of murmuring and excited chattering.

“That new Slytherin guy said Viktor Krum would come too.” Padma informed her housemates.

Anthony sighed. “Great. The Bulgaria fans will go crazy.”

He eyed the giggling Padma and her friends. “Not to mention the fangirls.”

Michael Corner rolled his eyes. “And he's not even that good looking. It's just because he's famous. Like with Harry at the beginning.”

Elsa couldn't help but agree quietly. Fame was making people interesting, that was something she had quickly learned when coming here.

Suddenly a large carriage, pulled by gigantic winged horses, flew over the high tree tops before landing roughly on the grassy ground.

A tall woman, probably even towering over Hagrid, left the carriage first. That had to be Madame Maxime.

After her, about twenty girls and boys around 17 or 18 years old followed, all of them dressed in fine silken robes that did nothing to hold off the cold.

While Dumbledore greeted the headmistress, they observed the castle with a rather unpleasant expression on their faces, as if smelling something particularly nasty.

From what Elsa had read, Beauxbatons was quite posh and fancy. Their school was overly pompous with lots of gold and white marble. Compared to that, Hogwarts would look like a ruin to them.

Since it was quite cold, they hurried past their hosts to warm up inside the Great Hall.

Durmstrang's pupils arrived in a ship that rose from under the water.

Their headmaster, Igor Karkaroff, had a dark vibe about him, as did his students. Viktor Krum was indeed among them, causing quite the ruckus in the crowd of Hogwarts pupils.

The Quidditch professional was wearing different clothes than his classmates, and it was clear from one look that his headmaster was favoring him.

Despite that, Krum appeared to be in a rather sour mood as they too entered the castle, followed by the rest.

Elsa was pleasantly surprised to see the Beauxbatons students had seated themselves at the Ravenclaw table.

While quite a few of her classmates appeared a little intimidated by them, or perturbed by their behavior, Elsa was excited to have them here, so close.

She sat down next to them with Luna, Anthony and Michael more or less hesitatingly following.

The foreign students were talking among themselves in french, way too fast for Elsa to understand a single sentence.

She really hoped she could learn to speak as fluent as them one day.

All in all it was a quiet dinner after Dumbledore hat revealed the so-called goblet of fire and that it would pick the three champions to compete in the Triwizard Tournament.

“Do you have veela blood too? I feel it.”

Elsa's eyes widened a fraction at the blunt question directed at her. It was one of the Beauxbatons girls with silvery blonde hair that seemed to glow in the candle light.

Her accent was heavy, though unfortunately she's spoken slow and clear enough for everyone to in a radius to understand her.

“My mother was quarter veela, so yes, a little.” She answered honestly.

Given her fake background of being a halfblood, there wouldn't be too much confusion. However, her three Gryffindor friends and Draco shouldn't hear about this at all.

“Mh, oui, I sense it faintly. My name is Fleur, quarter veela.” She introduced herself. “I didn't know there were any veelas in England.”

Luna gave Elsa a look, she saw it in her peripheral vision, and took her time answering.

She didn't want to give too much away, but the temptation to do so was quite great.

“She has her roots in France, but moved away when she met my father.”

The Beauxbatons girls perked up.

“Unfortunately she didn't teach me her mother tongue.”

“That's... what is the word... a pity? You should learn it, it's a fantastique langue.”

“I'm trying.”

The older girls went back to their conversation then, but Elsa was quite happy. That had went surprisingly well.

After their high-nosed entrance, she hadn't expected them to be so nice.

“So you're a half-breed?” Michael's and Anthony's eyes were wide as they stared at her from across the table.

“... Huh?”

“With you being partly veela, it makes you a half-breed!”

“... So? Who cares?” Elsa blinked in confusion.

Michael shrugged. “I mean, okay, I guess it's good that it's veela blood and not a troll's or giant's or whatever.”

Being pretty sure Hagrid was half-giant, she frowned. “What's the big deal?”

Luna leaned closer to her. “There's a lot of prejudice on those whose blood is mixed with creature's. Almost worse than with muggleborns.”

“This is ridiculous...”

“Tell that to those who believe in blood purity...”

**xxx**

It shouldn't have been a surprise to see the Great Hall crowded the next morning.

Usually Elsa was among the very few that got up early, even on Saturday, but this day there were already many students there from every house.

Everyone wanted to see who would throw in their name into the goblet of fire.

Fred and George were trying to trick the age line around it and got long white beards for the trouble, which was quite amusing to watch. As if anyone could get past Dumbledore's magic.

Under the influence of their other friends, Ron was being civil while they ate, probably sick himself of being mad.

It had been stupid from the very beginning, but Elsa wouldn't complain. She had her friend back, after all.

Another factor of his change of mind was probably because she spent less time with Draco since the year started.

Her tutoring sessions with Blaise on Thursdays was pretty low-key, not many even knew about it.

He was a great help with pronunciation, while she helped him catch up with their current curriculum.

The new Slytherin didn't seem to have any problems at all with her, so Elsa was a little unsure of why Draco didn't approach her again.

It had been his reason for staying away, after all. Perhaps he just didn't want to be friends with her anymore all of a sudden?

However, she had other things to concentrate on.

The entrance of the Beauxbatons students, for example. They, along with their headmistress, drew all the attention in the hall.

All of the pupils threw their name in with Madam Maxime watching proudly with a confident expression.

They left as quick and graceful as they entered.

Hermione wanted to ask Hagrid if he wanted to join S.P.E.W., but when they met him at his hut he appeared rather distracted.

While his “neat” clothes were hideous, his hair looked like a complete jelly mess.

He wouldn't give them a proper explanation about this weird appearance, and Elsa wasn't sure if she even wanted to know.

The afternoon approached rather quickly, and when they decided to get back to the castle together, Hagrid tried to freshen up by drenching himself in something from a bottle.

It probably was supposed to be after-shave, but he smelled like he took a bath in several stinking ceder oils and musk.

“No, no, no.” Elsa shook her head, eyes watering at the intensive stench, “Too much.”

Since Harry, Hermione and Ron had about the same reaction, Hagrid hurried outside to wash it off in a barrel of water.

Elsa followed with one of his gigantic towels.

“You should wash that... whatever it is out of your hair too while you're at it.” she advised.

“But it has to look good.” Hagrid pouted while he dried his neck and beard, the after-shave's smell lessened considerably.

“I'll help you, just...” Elsa trailed off when she noticed Hagrid's attention was elsewhere all of a sudden, a silly grin taking over his features.

Madame Maxime was coming over to them from their large powder blue carriage that was parked conveniently close to Hagrid's hut.

Elsa needed a moment to gather her bearings. She automatically dropped a curtsy and gave a friendly “Good afternoon, Madame.” when the tall woman came to stand in front of them.

Hagrid was still trying to get his face back under control.

The french headmistress eyed Elsa, the corners of her mouth tugging upwards minimally. Though, her brows furrowed ever so slightly as she took in the blonde's appearance.

For a second Elsa thought it might be recognition, her heart beating fast.

However, Maxime cleared her throat and shook her head slightly. “Good afternoon to you, too.” She finally said, accent heavy.

“Nice to see at least some of Hogwarts' students have manners. Hagrid, shall we?”

Elsa smiled, proud of herself, and watched the two adults walk ahead.

“Psh, what a snob. As if the rest of us were pigs.” Ron rolled his eyes as they followed them with quite the distance between them.

The Ravenclaw refrained from commenting, wanting to avoid another argument so soon.

**xxx**

That evening after the feast the Great Hall felt even more crowded than usual. There was a certain buzz of excitement in the air, the goblet of fire a glowing center of attention.

Elsa couldn't quite understand how everyone was so freaked over the tournament when it was said to be that dangerous. She had no idea what the tasks would include this time, but she was sure there was a reason it had been banned back then.

Yet the majority of the students thought it was a game, with the grand prize of 1,000 Galleons, and the never-ending fame that came with winning it.

Apparently being famous in the wizarding world was pretty important, if you take Harry as an example.

The ceremony started with the goblet spitting out the first name of the evening.

Viktor Krum was Durmstrang's champion. It was certainly boosting his ego even more, and it was not hurting his already great fame at all.

He held a superior air around him as he walked through the aisle between the Slytherin and Hufflepuff tables towards the professors and vanished behind a side door.

The Beauxbatons students were huddled together, each of them crossing their fingers as if it was already a victory when you were picked as champion.

Fleur Delacour's name was announced, and the quarter veela was as proud as one could be.

Maxime shared the smirk, apparently very sure that her student would win.

Elsa couldn't imagine participating in barbaric games like these.

It was getting really suspenseful. Hogwarts' champion would be drawn next.

The princess didn't know of many who put their name in, Cedric Diggory was one of them according to Cho, Angelina Johnson from Gryffindor, two seventh year Ravenclaws. She didn't know anything about the Slytherins, but there sure were a few who tried.

When Cedric's name was called out by Dumbledore, the Hufflepuff table erupted into cheers. Not only them, there were quite a few applauding along.

He bathed in the rush of the cheers as he followed the other champions into the side door.

“I knew he would be our champion, he's just awesome...” Cho said dreamily, still clapping along with the others.

Becky rolled her eyes and laughed.

Dumbledore calmed the students down and was trying to give a little speech to end the feast, when the goblet suddenly flared up and spit out another piece of parchment.

“Harry Potter!” The headmaster did seem really surprised, which was not assuring the slightest.

How was this possible? He wasn't 17 yet, he couldn't have gone past the age line.

Could it be someone else threw his name in? But why?

Elsa watched Harry hesitantly making his way towards the front of the room, silence his companion.

No, judging his blanched expression he certainly didn't want to participate. Someone must've put his name in the goblet without his consent.

There had to be a rule that would get him out of this mess. They surely wouldn't allow a 14-year-old to join such a dangerous tournament... right?

The rest of the students were dismissed, while most of the professors joined the champions in the side room, most certainly to discuss the matter.

“I can't believe he managed to throw his name in!”

“Can't he let others be the center of attention once?”

“Potter sucks, why did he do that?!”

All around the pupils were voicing their confusion and anger. Elsa couldn't grasp how they were turning against him so fast. Did they really believe he's done it on purpose?

As it turned out, they did.

It was bad enough that it was decided he _had_ to participate, he didn't need his own classmates against him.

Even Ron didn't believe in Harry's innocence. The week after the feast was hell for Harry, it was radio silence between him and Ron.

The Weasley kept to his other Gryffindor friends, and it was weighing Harry's mood down even more.

Elsa was included in the silent treatment. With Ron because his anger for her lying had flared up again, and with Harry because he was hiding away in his common room or wherever.

She couldn't even blame him with how the others were being jerks towards him.

Two weeks after the disaster, Elsa found him by the lake with Neville. He was sitting by the roots of a tree with a book, while Neville was digging around in the muddy water for something.

She greeted the other Gryffindor with a small wave before coming to stand next to Harry.

He didn't even look up from his Herbology book. “Are you here to tell me how irresponsible I am?”

“I'm here to ask how you were doing.” Elsa tilted her head. “Throwing your name in would've been insane. I don't think you did it.”

Harry paused for a few seconds, then closed the book with a sigh and gave a defeated smile.

“Thanks, that makes three people who don't hate me.”

Elsa eyed the muddy ground and opted to just crouch next to him to be on eye-level with her friend.

She guessed he was talking about Neville and Hermione as the other two.

“I know for a fact that Luna and Cho also don't think you did it. And I'm sure they're not the only ones.”

Harry scoffed, playing with a piece of bark from the tree. “They sure know how to hide their support.”

Neville made his way out of the water and carefully waddled over to them on bare feet. He had something slimy and green in his hands that had Elsa scrunch up her face.

“I can't speak for the others, but Seamus and Dean are on your side. They're just afraid to be targeted too when they show it.”

Elsa frowned. “But what does that say about them when they put their social status above their friend?”

“Most teenagers are scared when it comes to their social status.” Neville shrugged. “It's all about how others see you and how you deal with it. It determines your future.”

Harry frowned. “What does it have to do with their future if they make fun of me? Seriously, this is the Heir of Slytherin case all over again.”

Neville put the slime thing in a container and wiped his hands on his pants. “Well, it also depends on their personality. Take us, for example.” He gestured between himself and Elsa.

“People see me as a loser. It could make me shy and bitter, giving me trouble trusting people. Instead, because of my personality, it makes me wanna try harder, gives me the boost I need to gain confidence in my later life.”

“With Elsa it's different. She's popular and smart, it could make her stuck-up and over-confident. But since she doesn't care about what the others think and her personality, she's nice and grateful and knows what hard work is.”

Elsa blinked at the insightful theory, coming from Neville of all people. She hasn't seen herself as popular, though aside from Pansy she didn't have any enemies.

Harry sat a little straighter. “So you think because Malfoy is popular and rich he's so stuck up, for example?”

Neville shrugged. “He was at the beginning, yeah. But not anymore as far as I can tell.”

“Maybe you can tell me why Ron acts as if I stole his favorite toy.”

“Ron is-”

“What about me?”

The three whipped their heads around to see Ron, Ginny and Hermione standing there.

The two girls appeared rather reluctant to be here with a fuming Ron.

Neville flushed and turned around to go back into the lake, while Harry and Elsa stood facing him.

“What do you want?” Harry spat, easily adapting the redhead's offensive tone.

Ron's jaw worked, but Ginny's hand on his shoulder kept him from exploding. She gave us an apologetic shrug.

Hermione hunched up her shoulders. “Hagrid wants to see you. He says it's important.”

As soon as she was done delivering the message, Ron twirled around and stomped off again, the two girls hot on his heels to calm him down.

“And he couldn't tell me that?” Harry grumbled, grabbing his discarded Herbology book from the ground.

“Maybe wanted to, but changed his mind when you snapped at him?” Elsa offered with a hint of humor, though she knew there was nothing funny about them arguing.

“He started it.”

“He thought we were talking about him.”

“Please, he has everyone on his side. Can't you just agree with me?”

Elsa couldn't help but chuckle. “Fine, how about we just change the topic. You should go see Hagrid now.”

“Want to come with me? You could tell me more about what Cho said about me...”

The two of them bade their goodbye to Neville and made their way towards Hagrid's hut.

“Do you have a crush on her?” Elsa teased, enjoying how flustered Harry became.

“No! I mean, she's cool. And great at quidditch.”

Elsa just gave him an amused look. Harry scratched the back of his head.

“So, you said she believes me?”

“Exactly. She even brushed off Becky when she declared her crazy for thinking so.”

The Gryffindor gave a wide smile, the brightest she's seen him since the Triwizard Debacle.

“It's good to know she doesn't think I'm a traitor or an attention whore like everyone else does.” He shyly shrugged one shoulder.

“I was thinking about asking her out for Yule Ball.”

“I suppose she wouldn't say no if you asked her.” Elsa mused. Of course she would prefer Cedric, but the odds of that happening were slim to non-existent.

“If nobody else asks her first, that is.”

Harry gulped, eyes wide. “You'd think she'd agree? But what if she says no?”

“Don't worry, even if she declines she's going to be really nice about it.”

“Great, you're _so_ good at pep talk.”

“Harry Potter, are you being sarcastic?”

* * *


	18. Chapter 18

* * *

Hagrid appeared a little surprised that Harry showed up with company, though was none the less happy to see Elsa. Had he really thought she would abandon Harry too?

Instead of telling the important news Hermione had talked about, the half-giant was being cryptic. Harry was to meet him at nine pm and bring his invisibility cloak.

“Why couldn't he just tell you now if it's that important?” Elsa wondered as they left the hut.

Harry shrugged. “I've stopped wondering when it comes to Hagrid. Do you have some time? Let's just take a walk or something.”

Aside from studying there wasn't anything on her schedule left for today, so she could definitely take a relaxing walk with Harry. Her friend really looked like he needed someone to talk to.

And talking they did, about everything and nothing, about who could've put Harry's name in the goblet or what his first task would be.

When it was getting dark they headed inside for dinner.

Harry opted to sit at the very end of the Gryffindor table, Elsa joining him since she saw Hermione with Ron.

Ginny, Neville and Luna also sat down next to them, relieving Harry of his thoughts that everyone hated his guts.

They wisely chose to stay away from the topic and once again Luna showed her talent of distracting people and cheering them up that way.

Around eight, Harry and Elsa parted for their common rooms to get dressed in casual clothes before they would meet up again to visit Hagrid.

On Elsa's way to their meeting point, she was stopped by Draco in an empty hallway.

“Oh, hey.” She greeted him with a smile.

“Hey.” His pale neck turned a little pink-ish.

Elsa waited for him to say something, but he didn't seem to be able to open his mouth.

“Was there anything you needed?”

He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck, giving a glimpse of the friendship bracelet. At least he was still wearing it.

“Uh, yes. I mean, no. I just wanted to talk to you.”

When there was another pause, Elsa tilted her head. “... About?”

“I heard you and Blaise help each other out, he's pretty impressed by you. And that means something.”

Elsa nodded. “He's really cool. And with his help my french improves quite well. I guess I passed his test, hm?”

“What test?”

“Please, he may thinks he's clever, but never try to outwit a Ravenclaw.” She shrugged one shoulder.

“So did you want to tell me we can be normal friends again? I'm in dire need of help in Potions.”

Draco's face was unreadable, he looked like he wanted to explode with something, but his lips wouldn't cooperate.

Elsa blinked, waiting patiently for him to gather himself. There was still a little time before Hagrid would await them.

“Uhm. Yes. Of course.” He appeared disappointed in himself, but smiled at her.

“Great, thank you. Maybe Friday right after classes? I have some spare time then before I have to tutor the first-years.”

There had been quite a few first years from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff who had trouble with Transfiguration, and they've been coming to her for help for a few weeks now.

Elsa didn't mind, as she had a bit more free time now that she was done with her royal training books and since Blaise helped her with the french.

She considered her timetable, playing with her quill.

“Or if you want we can add Potions to the tutoring with Blaise on Thursdays, so-”

“No, Friday is fine.”

A little surprised by the tone, she wrote Draco's name in the free space on Friday.

“Alright then, thanks again. I have to go now, see you tomorrow morning in Charms?”

“I thought we could compare our star charts now? I'm not sure about the homework we got.”

“Mh, can we do that tomorrow at breakfast maybe? I promised Harry to help him with something.”

She wasn't sure if anyone was to know that Hagrid wanted to meet him, but if he had to bring his invisibility cloak it was probably wiser to keep it a secret.

Draco frowned slightly, lower lip giving a light quiver as if he wanted to pout.

“Potter needs help? With the tournament?”

Elsa rolled her eyes. “No, not with the tournament. If you can't help bashing on him too, do that when I'm not around. He didn't throw his name into the goblet of fire.”

He put up his hands in defense. “I'm not saying anything. Try to stay out of trouble. Please.”

“Don't worry, I will.”

With that she waved and walked off to meet up with Harry. Draco's behavior was quite weird, but she wouldn't dwell on it. At least they could talk normally again.

Hagrid greeted her and Harry, again in his horrible suit and tie. That was even more strange.

He told them to hide under the cloak and follow him into the Forbidden Forest, where he met up with Madame Maxime.

Elsa and Harry shared a confused frown. Why on earth did Hagrid want them to accompany him on a date?

They were obviously flirting, if quite clumsy, though Maxime didn't seem to mind.

The two teenagers followed them deeper into the forest, hoping there was more to see than their friend making a fool out of himself.

Elsa cringed at an insensitive pun, but Madame Maxime laughed. Perhaps it was a match made in heaven.

A loud roar and orange light in the distance caught their whole attention then.

It turned out to be dragons, four of them in chains, several wizards trying to hold them down.

Elsa recognized Charlie Weasley among them, stunning one of the dragons so it wouldn't freak out completely.

While Maxime stepped closer, fascinated, Harry and Elsa could only stare wide-eyed.

The dragons looked absolutely terrifying, the sheer size and sharp claws and teeth, everything about them.

Hagrid seemed happy as he stood next to them, whispering so Maxime wouldn't notice him talking to anyone.

“I'm not supposed to show you, but since you're the youngest contestant I think you should know.”

“W-What?” Harry couldn't tear his eyes off the deadly creatures.

“Dragons, they're the first task.”

“Oh Hagrid, they're fantastique!”

The half-giant hurried to the headmistress' side, grinning from ear to ear as he told her about the dragons.

Harry shook his head, still wide-eyed, and turned around, pulling Elsa with him.

“I can't believe it!” He exclaimed once they were out of earshot. “Dragons! How am I supposed to fight a _dragon_?!”

Elsa shrugged, a frown on her face. “I have no idea. They were barely able to contain them, and they're adults...”

“You're not helping.”

“I don't know how. I'd suggest water or ice spells to counter the fire, but that won't knock them out or anything...”

“... Great...”

“We can hit up the library tomorrow after classes, maybe Hermione has an idea.”

Harry rubbed his nose. “If she's not too busy with her house-elf club. Or being on Ron's side.”

“She's not on Ron's side, she tries to play mediator between the two of you. You're both incredibly stubborn.”

“It's not my fault he's wrong.”

“Keep me out of this, seriously. I just got him to talk to me again, I don't want to argue with any of you.”

By the stairs they stopped.

“We'll find a way to defeat a dragon, there's still plenty of time. And tomorrow right after DADA we hit the library.”

**xxx**

The weeks passed rather fast then, for Elsa because of her full schedule, and for Harry because of the dreaded first task.

Hermione and Elsa tried to help Harry master a few water spells, and after a talk with Moody the Gryffindor was set on learning the summoning spell.

Because of the urgency, and their already busy days, Elsa took over working with Harry after classes until dinner, while Hermione helped him after dinner until it was time for bed.

Along with her own homework and studying, Elsa found herself drained pretty fast.

“If you start wearing yourself out like last year, I'm gonna rat you out to Vector.”

Elsa gave Draco a look as she sat down in the library after dinner on Friday.

She had moved every tutoring lesson to after dinner to match her new schedule.

“It's not like last year at all. And it's only until Harry's over his first task.”

“If you'd tell me what it is I could help.”

“I'm not supposed to tell anyone. Besides, Harry wouldn't want your help. He's still miffed because of your buttons.”

Draco and Blaise had worked on a few buttons that would show support for Cedric and insult Harry. It had given them a popularity boost, but Elsa was quite disapproving of it.

The Slytherin rolled his eyes. “It's harmless fun.”

“Fun for you.”

“Fun for everyone but Potter.”

Elsa sighed. “Can you tell me what's going on with you lately? I thought there was some sort of truce between you?”

Draco pointedly opened his Potions book. “Just because you think he didn't cheat with the goblet doesn't mean I have to believe him too.”

“So you have to make him feel even worse than he already is?”

“Why are you so protective of him?”

“Because he's my friend.”

They held a little staring contest over the tabletop. Draco let out his breath through his nose and shook his head.

“You know what? Let's just start with Potions and talk about something else.”

Elsa was quite annoyed by all of the hurdles she needed to avoid when talking to either of her friends. However, this wasn't the time to lose her temper.

It wasn't Draco's fault she was overworked.

The day of the first task was highly awaited by the students, while Harry looked like he was about to pass out from nerves. He couldn't eat anything for breakfast, in fear of throwing up in front of the audience.

If Elsa was honest, she would be scared to death if it was her who had to fight a dragon. Even if she _could_ use her powers freely.

She inwardly compared this to the basilisk in their second year. Only this time the beast could actually see and had claws, legs and wings to assist it. Not to mention the fire.

Hermione and Elsa brought Harry to the champions' tent, wishing him good luck before they found empty seats next to Luna and Ginny.

Harry had only managed to master the Summoning spell the night before with Hermione. He hadn't told them his exact plan, but Moody was then one helping him out.

Elsa frowned when there was a large nest placed in the middle of the 'stage', that consisted of a rocky landscape.

The nest held a few eggs, all gray colored, and one larger golden one. When the wizard was at a safe distance, a blueish-gray dragon was led onto the stage. It went automatically for the eggs.

“That's a Swedish Short-Snout!” Ginny exclaimed, her dark eyes wide.

Elsa didn't care what it was called, all she saw was that the dragon was very protective of her eggs.

Putting two and two together, she concluded that the champions would have to steal the golden egg from a mother dragon.

“This is way too dangerous...” she muttered. “What if they accidentally destroy the eggs?”

Ludo Bagman announced that they had to get the golden egg indeed, and that Cedric Diggory was to go first.

They watched him transfigure one of the rocks into a dog, a quite impressive feat, and use it to distract the dragon.

He barely managed to grab the egg, getting burnt badly because the distraction didn't work well enough.

It was horrible to watch, Elsa chewed her lip until it was bloody. If a 17-year-old wizard had such troubles, how would Harry manage to even survive this?

The Short-Snout was led away by several wizards, along with her nest.

A new, smaller nest was placed then, belonging to a slim bright green dragon.

Ginny didn't quite know the name, but it wasn't important anyway.

It didn't look as intimidating as the first one, though still dangerous.

Fleur stepped onto the stage, appearing sick to the stomach. Elsa could relate.

It wasn't as interesting to watch as Cedric's go, as she only used a spell that was to put the dragon to sleep. A good idea without much trouble, Elsa mused, though with a snore the dragon set Fleur's skirt on fire. All in all she got away without any injuries.

From the Hogwarts students were a few 'Boo's, since it was boring to them, but Elsa was glad there weren't any casualties.

She wondered when it would be Harry's turn, but that question was answered when Krum appeared next, after the green dragon was replaced by a large scarlet one that looked way more intimidating.

Elsa recoiled at Viktor's brutal approach of hitting the dragon with some sort of stunning spell right in the eye, which led the poor beast to trample her own eggs.

“This is barbaric!” She breathed, glaring at the Bulgarian Quidditch player as he victoriously held up the golden egg.

“The poor mother...” Luna agreed. “At least they took some points for it.”

The last and most vicious dragon, a Hungarian Horntail, was led to the center. His nest was filled with cement-colored eggs, the golden one appearing to be gleaming.

Elsa felt her breath hitch when Harry entered the stage, scared for his well-being. She just hoped his plan – whatever it was – would work.

The genius move followed indeed. With the newly learned charm, he summoned his Firebolt.

Since they weren't allowed to take anything with them _in_ to the task, he found a loophole.

He skillfully evaded the dragon, managing to get the egg in record time. The stands erupted into cheers, chanting his name with pride now instead of hatred.

Elsa dared breathing again, her heart still thumping wildly. This Tournament was a catastrophe, how could they allow these dangerous tasks?!

For a stupid challenge, they robbed an innocent dragon of her eggs and endangered others. Not to mention the danger the champions had been in!

Unfortunately she was pretty alone in her anger. There was too much cheering, too many of them blinded by the adrenaline rush.

Unable to cheer along, she wanted to check up on Harry in the tent Madam Pomfrey had set up, but when she saw Hermione and Ron already on their way there, she decided to give them the privacy.

The two boys definitely needed to make up and be friends again.

**xxx**

“Oh come on, you're completely exaggerating.” Draco rolled his eyes.

To his great annoyance, Blaise had joined _his_ tutoring session with Elsa the next Friday. Apparently he thought his friend needed help in finally asking her out.

However, the princess was completely distracted.

“Am I? The Triwizard Tournament is a completely unnecessary source of danger!”

“Completely unnecessary- Do I have to remind you of _your_ completely unnecessary and dangerous adventures the past three years?!”

Elsa shot him a nasty look, that had Blaise hide his amused smirk behind his hand.

“We prevented Quirrel from stealing the Philosopher's Stone, necessary. We saved Hogwarts from the basilisk that hid in the chamber of secrets. Necessary.” She counted off.

“And I saved an innocent hippogriff from being executed. Necessary. _And_ the last one wasn't dangerous at all.”

Elsa wisely left out how she apparently also helped saving an innocent Sirius Black, since it was supposed to stay a secret.

“No, you've just endangered your health by running head first into a werewolf attack, surrounded by dementors! After having taken a sleeping potion!”

Their glares met stubbornly.

“You're completely off topic. That has nothing to do with the Tournament.”

“Weeeell,” Blaise interrupted them, “I kinda regret not being here from the beginning. Sounds like I missed out on a few very interesting years.”

“Sure, if you call one heart attack after the other interesting.” Draco pouted, closing his book.

Elsa crossed her arms, giving Draco an annoyed look.

Taking pity with his best friend, Blaise intervened. “Let's just agree that Elsa's prone to get into dangerous situations and that Draco has a very pronounced overprotective streak.”

“Whatever, I'm late for my next tutoring session with the first-years.”

The Ravenclaw put her things in her bag, missing how Blaise kicked Draco's shin under the table.

“Uhm, actually, there was something I wanted to ask you...”

Elsa faced him with a questioning expression. Draco bit his lip, color rising once again to his cheeks.

“Draco, I'm kind of in a hurry.”

“... Do you... er. Do you wanna do our Astronomy homework together later?”

Blaise facepalmed, getting a raised eyebrow from Elsa.

The princess nodded. “Sure. We can talk about when and where at dinner.”

As soon as she left the library, Draco buried his face in his hands. Blaise opened his mouth, but the blond shook his head beforehand.

“Not a word.”

“ _Word_. Come on, you can scold her but are scared to ask her out? What's wrong with you?”

“I don't know... shut up.”

“You know, Yule Ball is coming closer. And she's pretty much the most beautiful girl in our year. Would be a shame if someone else asked her out, wouldn't it?”

Silver eyes narrowed. “Goldstein.”

“For example. She seems pretty close with Harry Potter, too.”

Draco slammed his hand on the tabletop. “They're just friends.”

“At the moment _you_ are just a friend, too. If Potter has the guts that you apparently haven't, he could snatch her right from under your nose.”

At Draco's fuming expression, Blaise could only laugh.

The Yule Ball was the next hot topic. The girls especially were behaving really excited, which Elsa couldn't understand at all.

From what she had read and learned and heard about, balls were boring. Dancing and eating, wearing uncomfortably heavy dresses and putting on a friendly mask for the guests you didn't even know.

Perhaps this, a school ball, was different. In her opinion, it only masked the danger of the tournament. She kind of understood how Hermione felt with her house elves.

Since it was futile to go against anything that was so highly celebrated within the wizard world, Elsa concentrated on one of her thousand other worries.

She still hadn't brought up the courage to talk to Madame Maxime about her mother.

The trolls' warning was still fresh on her mind, despite it being years now.

There was no telling how the headmistress would react. She could be nice, of course. But she could also spill her secret to everyone around, and that would attract the wrong kind of attention for sure.

It was a back and forth, too many pros and cons. Maybe distracting herself would work, as it had in the past.

However, her friends were no help with that. The Tournament and Yule Ball were the only topics nowadays, no matter the group of friends she joined.

As good as Luna's company was, she reminded Elsa of her plan to talk to Maxime, so it was just going in circles. It was bad enough that Elsa thought about writing to her foster parents about sending her more business books.

Yule Ball would take place during Christmas break, so if she went home instead of staying she could evade everything for at least two weeks.

As Draco had predicted the last summer, the heads of houses were doing a crash course for the students so there wouldn't be any embarrassing incidents during the ball.

Ron, having completely forgotten his anger by now, had been begging her to use her sewing charm skills to at least free his dress robe from all the lace after their lesson with McGonagall, so he wouldn't embarrass himself further.

With Hufflepuff and Gryffindor having the most students and female heads of houses, there was no problem for them to do the course.

However, Elsa didn't dare imagining Snape dancing. Or Flitwick.

(Un-)Fortunately Hogwarts' staff was creative. So they decided to throw Slytherin and Ravenclaw together for an hour, with McGonagall helping out with the teaching.

They had the boys sit on one side of the emptied Great Hall, and the girls on the other, while the head of Gryffindor did her best to show them how to dance.

Seeing Snape's suffering expression was giving them a hard time to not laugh.

Elsa was surprised to see he actually knew how to dance, even if his moves were a little jerky.

When they were told to go ahead and dance, too, it was clear that the girls were way more inclined to try than the boys.

However, since they were scared of Snape's wrath, they gave in.

Elsa watched the boys' side, easily finding Draco, whose shoulder was being slapped repeatedly by his best friend.

On the opposite end, Anthony was hesitatingly making his way over to her.

She didn't really care who to dance with, but with the knowledge of Anthony's crush on her she wasn't too sure if it was good for him. So she leaned over to one of the shyer Ravenclaws, a fifth year, and nudged her.

“Why don't you ask Anthony to dance with you? He's really nice.”

The girl, Elsa believed her name to be Allison, shrugged. “Do you think he would?”

“Of course.”

Allison met Anthony halfway, the boy caught off guard by the approach, but he was really nice enough to not call her off. With a last glimpse in Elsa's direction he led her off towards the make-shift dance floor.

Pansy had joined Draco and Blaise and seemed to be angry about something, and judging by the glares of the boys they were pretty annoyed with her.

Blaise was practically pulled away by Becky, who had just boldly taken his hand to make him her dance partner for today.

Draco forcefully took his own arm back from Pansy's grip and stomped over to where Elsa was waiting.

The princess tried to look like she hadn't just witnessed their encounter, but found it quite difficult to avert her gaze when Draco was trying so hard to fight the glare off his face as he approached her.

As she expected, he held his hand out for her to take. He cleared his throat. “May I have this dance?”

From behind his back, Elsa could see Pansy's murderous gaze stabbing her eyes out.

With a small smile, the blonde took Draco's hand and let herself be guided to the dance floor.

Since they already practiced dancing during the last summer, they didn't have to concentrate on the steps so much and could let their minds roam freely as they moved along to the music.

Elsa's thoughts tugged back to the beginning of the year, when Becky had said Draco was crushing on her too. If she contemplated his behavior, it would be a possibility, but did she really want to interpret it like that?

There was still the arranged marriage, if she couldn't find a way out of it there wouldn't be a future for them anyways. And they were friends, weren't they?

“You should've danced with Pansy.” She told him, looking up to catch his gaze.

He raised an eyebrow. “Pansy? I've had her on my heels for over three months now, I don't need her on my toes too.” He glanced in Pansy's direction. “Besides, you're the only one I'd ever want to dance with.”

“Because I won't step on your toes?” She teased, her grin only faltering a little when she noticed Draco's expression. What was going on?

“Uh, no. I mean, yes, but that's not the reason. I just feel really comfortable with you.”

Elsa tilted her head. Just now he hasn't looked comfortable at all. However, she would get to the bottom of this.

“Mh, you should keep that phrases for you fanclub.” She was a little surprised at how that one came out.

Though it felt good to see him go back to normal then, a smirk tugging his lips upwards in amusement.

“Are you jealous?”

Rolling her eyes playfully, she shook her head. “Of course I'm not. There's nothing to be jealous about. Ever since Cedric was chosen as Hogwarts' champion the girls seem to prefer him over you.”

Wiping the smirk off his face was a glorious feeling.

“Well, every girl except for dear Pansy.”

Draco needed a moment to compose himself.

“True, Pansy is like a cold I can't get rid of. The snot just keeps coming back.”

Elsa pulled a face at the comparison, which brought Draco's good mood back. The princess shrugged it off.

“Well, she clearly adores you.” As much as she hated Elsa, the blonde added inwardly, basically feeling the daggers of Pansy's stare in her back.

“Please,” Draco snorted, “she adores my family's fame and fortune. Just like the other bitches. My looks are just a bonus for them.”

Frowning at the foul wording, Elsa glanced around to make sure nobody heard him. What was it with teenagers using such language?

“Maybe I'm also after your fame and fortune.”

His bitter face changed to a smiling one. “You're not. You never were.”

“How would you know?”

“Oh, I don't know.” He said sarcastically, lowering his voice, “Maybe because you're royalty and don't need my fortune?”

Elsa tilted her head. “What if I'm actually not? What if it was an elaborate plan to get you to trust me, to fall for me, making sure you'd pick me over the others?”

Draco's smile softened. “If that really was your plan, you succeeded.”

Not having expected such an answer to her teasing, Elsa felt her cheeks heat up. Unable to withstand his gaze, she let her eyes sweep over the rest of their waltzing classmates.

“Speechless?”

Forcing herself to meet his eyes again, she shrugged. “I'm trying to save your reputation here. What would your fanclub say if they heard you talking like that to me?”

“I don't care what _they_ say. The only thing I care about is what _you_ say.”

Feeling as if she was out of place all of a sudden, Elsa hunched up her shoulders slightly. “Say to what?”

“Will you be my date to Yule Ball?”

Elsa tripped over her own feet at that and would've landed face first on the floor if it wasn't for Draco to catch her, holding her close as if it was part of the dance.

“At least one arm-length apart, Draco.” Snape's scold broke the metaphoric spell.

They were dismissed, and Elsa couldn't flee the hall fast enough. What was wrong with her? She was acting like a complete coward and fool!

She knew Draco was waiting for an answer, but she couldn't give him one yet.

**xxx**

“I can't believe Cedric asked you to be his date!” Becky exclaimed, squashing her own cheeks in shock.

“Me neither!” Cho giggled, cheeks red with glee.

Elsa sort of felt bad for Harry, but was also happy for Cho. Her crush had asked her out, that was wonderful for her.

She herself hadn't quite figured out what to say to Draco yet and cowardly hid in her common room as often as she could, or stuck to her friends so she wouldn't be caught alone.

There was just so much confusion. Was she interpreting too much into it? Maybe he just wanted to go as friends? She hadn't even considered that. It would be better to clarify that first, wouldn't it?

On the other hand, what would she do if it _wasn't_ in a friendly way?

She couldn't start a relationship or anything with him if she had to be married of to an unknown prince in four years.

Against her original plan, she signed up to stay in Hogwarts during Christmas break. Anna hadn't been too disappointed when Elsa sent her a bunch of sweets to make up for it.

On her birthday, the Ravenclaw received a soft package from her parents. The letter said it was a dress for the ball, her first real ball.

It wasn't as old-fashioned as she had feared, but compared to what she had seen from Cho and Becky already, it was boring.

Dark colors, plain.

No, she would wear Mrs Malfoy's dress instead.

Elsa put the dress away and bit her lip as she looked out the window. They had a great view of the Forbidden Forest, along with Hagrid's hut and the powder blue carriage that housed the Beauxbatons students.

Even if she was adopted, she was raised as a princess. And royals weren't to be scared of talking to people.

What was happening to her? She was supposed to become a good queen, not some shy little princess that needed a knight in shining armor to save her.

Making a decision, Elsa gave herself a push and left the safety of her dorm to go and find Madame Maxime first.

The headmistress was standing outside with a few of her girls, Fleur Delacour among them. They were talking in french, so Elsa waited for an opportunity to interrupt them.

However, Ron was the one interrupting, big time. He came to stand in front of Fleur and practically screamed at the poor girl if she wanted to go to Yule Ball with him.

His face was the color of his hair when he realized what he's done, and a second later he ran off.

Ginny and Elsa exchanged a wide-eyed look, before the Weasley chased her brother to do some damage control.

Compared to that, Draco had been pretty suave in asking her out.

Taking the chance, Elsa stepped up to Maxime.

“Excuse me, Madame, do you have a moment? There is something I needed to talk to you about... in private.”

The intimidating woman observed Elsa for a moment, the teenager standing straight and with a determined expression on her face.

“Bien. Just one petite second.” She gave a few final words to Fleur in french, sending them off.

Then she gestured for Elsa to follow her, which the blonde hesitatingly did. She had asked for privacy, after all.

There were a few curious gazes that followed them, why would a Hogwarts student go with the Beauxbatons headmistress?

Gulping down her nervousness, Elsa entered the carriage after Maxime.

Just like the tents at the World Cup had been, the inside was way larger than the outside. There was a fine living room with fancy furniture and lots of blankets and pillows, and several small hallways that probably led to bedrooms.

Maxime climbed a set of stairs that appeared at a wave of her wand, leading to a circular opening in the ceiling.

Elsa bit her lip and followed. It was the headmistress' bedroom, with a large canopy bed at one wall, a merrily burning fireplace and two lilac armchairs in front of it, standing on a soft beige rug.

With talking in private Elsa had expected some empty classroom, certainly not Maxime's private chambers. However, this was as much privacy as one could get, she supposed.

The headmistress was using her wand to get them two cups of tea, sitting down on one of the armchairs and left the other open for Elsa.

“Thank you.”

“I'll have you know that this is not what I usually do. Especially with students of this primitive school.”

Elsa refrained from defending Hogwarts, not wanting to anger her.

“I'm grateful for your hospitality. May I ask why you're making an exception for me?”

Maxime took a sip from her tea, taking her time answering.

“You've shown a level of integrity and manners that is similar to what we teach our pupils in Beauxbatons. And Fleur told me you have roots in France.”

“That is actually what I wanted to talk to you about, Madame... My mother is the one with the roots in France.”

Now or never, Elsa mused.

“My mother is Isabelle Flocon.”

Elsa wasn't prepared for the laughter that ensued. Not sure how to react, she kept a carefully neutral expression, her chest tightening.

“Ma petite fille, Isabelle Flocon vanished off to Spirit World over 15 years ago.”

“Pretty much exactly fifteen years and at least nine months, I'd say.”

“I am not fond of jokes like these. Don't waste my time and make me regret inviting you in.”

“With all due respect, Madame Maxime, this is not a joke. I'm the daughter of Isabelle Flocon and the Spirit of Winter. I can prove it.”

Releasing her clenched fists, Elsa took a moment to think about what she wanted to build and settled for one of the giant flying horses that pulled the carriage.

As the ice sculpture took shape between her bare hands, Maxime's eyes widened comically. Even more so when the horse neighed and began flying around the room.

“Mon Dieu...”

The horse landed on the fireplace's mantle, settling down to rest.

“Incroyable...” Maxime stared at Elsa. “But... if you are her and Winter's child, what are you doing down here?”

Elsa gave a helpless shrug. “I just know that Isabelle had to flee from something and gave me to a muggle family up north when I was just a baby. The only thing she left was a letter.”

“A letter? Did she write what happened?”

“Unfortunately she didn't. Only that I was in danger and needed to be protected. I've grown up not knowing anything about my real parents. Until I received my Hogwarts letter I didn't even know about my witch half.”

It was disappointing that Maxime didn't know what happened to Isabelle.

“... There has to be a mistake... why Hogwarts? With Isabelle as your mother you should've come to Beauxbatons...” Maxime muttered to herself.

“I'm quite happy here in Hogwarts. I was telling you this in hopes of finding out more about her, to get to know her, at least a little.”

Maxime gave her a long look, the corners of her mouth tugging upwards.

“I have thought you were familiar. There's just a little difference... Wait.”

Elsa watched her go to a large bookshelf and use her wand to summon a thick book. The year 1976/77 was written on the back of it in shimmering golden letters.

She thumbed through the slightly worn pages until she found what she was looking for. With a fond smile, Maxime handed Elsa the book.

The princess couldn't suppress a grin at the photo. There were three girls in it, an Asian, a dark-skinned girl and in the middle was a blonde that had to be Isabelle. She was laughing, mirth glittering in her sky blue eyes that matched Elsa's to a T.

Her hair was a warm summer blonde in comparison to Elsa's more silvery shade and she wore it open in soft waves, letting it shine in the sunlight.

“She's been 16 when the photo was taken. Full of life, a little trouble-prone, but her grades were fantastique without even trying. She had an affinity for Charms.”

Elsa smiled, tracing the picture. She was really beautiful. “I'm pretty good with Charms, too.”

“She loved to sing, all day long about the weirdest things. One time she improvised a song about the recipe of a potion and sang it during her exam. We almost had to have them all re-take the test since it was on the verge of cheating.”

Maxime laughed at the memory, and Elsa's heart jumped happily.

“And she was crazy about animals. The cute ones I could understand, but there was also this hippogriff, her pet. He wouldn't leave the school grounds, wherever she went he followed. Playful little thing, just like Isabelle.”

Elsa's mind raced, then. A hippogriff? Her mother's pet? Could it be... no. Too big a coincidence.

She spent most of the afternoon in Maxime's room, hearing many things about her mother.

It stirred a longing in her, to meet her for real. If she was still alive, it is.

When she left the carriage for dinner, she was torn between being happy and sad.

Her mother was a great person, nice and popular, a little mischievous and bright. A real summer child that fell in love with Winter.

How would it have been if Isabelle had kept and raised her? She would've grown up entirely different, without the pressure of becoming a queen. Just her and her mother in France. She would've been like the graceful Beauxbatons girls.

But then she wouldn't have met her friends, and Anna would be the one forced into an arranged marriage with an unknown wizard prince.

Since it was no use playing impossible scenarios over and over in her head, she settled for being happy that she got to know more about her mother.

Elsa jumped in her seat at the end of the table when Hermione let herself fall next to her squealing into her hands with a bright grin on her face.

“What's going on?” The Ravenclaw asked with a chuckle.

“You have to promise not to tell the guys.”

“Alright, I promise I won't.”

Hermione leaned closer so nobody could hear her squeak. “Viktor Krum asked me to go to Yule Ball with him!”

“What? Oh wow!” Elsa blinked. How had he taken notice of her with so many girls following him around?

“I'm happy for you!”

“Thanks... It's just... I _thought_ it was weird that he had been following me around everywhere I went for the last few weeks, and today he confessed that he was trying to build up the courage to talk to me and ask me out.”

She was practically glowing with happiness, which made Elsa smile. “Why don't you want to tell the guys? I'm sure they'd be happy for you too.”

Hermione made a face and shrugged. “They're so immature. Do you have a date yet?”

Elsa glanced towards the Slytherin table, but couldn't see Draco anywhere.

“Kind of? I mean, Draco asked me, but I freaked out. I'm not sure if he still wants to go with me.”

“If he doesn't, I'm sure Harry or Ron would be glad to go with you... I'm so excited! I gotta prepare some Sleekeazy's Hair Potion myself, on such short notice I won't get anything delivered on time.”

“Hair Potion?”

“Ugh yes, I'd have no idea how to make it look good without it.” She tugged at a strand of her bushy hair.

“And it _has_ to look good now. As one of the champions, Viktor has the first dance. All eyes are gonna be on us.”

“I'm sure you'll look great.”

“I hope so...”

After dinner, Elsa walked over to the Slytherin table, but Draco wasn't there anymore.

Blaise gave her a grin. “What is it, Ice Princess?”

Elsa frowned in confusion. Sure, Fred and George still called her princess all the time, but ice princess?

“What did you call me?”

“Oh come on, don't tell me you haven't seen Hogwarts' very own mock Daily Prophet yet?”

He handed her a miniature version of the Daily Prophet, called the “Hogwarts Prophet”. The front page was filled with information about the Triwizard Tournament and even a little advertisement for prank candy from Fred and George.

On the backside was an article about Neville's solo dance session in the Gryffindor common room and a tiny section with the title _'Ice Prince rejected by his princess'_.

Elsa rubbed her temple. “Who came up with this rubbish?”

“No idea. Some seventh years without anything better to do I guess. But it's genius, with two sickles per exemplar and the added income for the ad placement.”

“Great. Do you know where Draco is?”

Blaise rubbed his chin as if he was deep in thought. “I think he wanted to talk to Pansy. Y'know, secure that he won't have to go alone to the ball.”

The blonde crossed her arms. “Don't try one of your mind games on me, Zabini. Where is he?”

The Slytherin laughed. “Fine, you got me. He's at your spot, whatever that means. Happy birthday, by the way.”

Elsa gave him a look and rolled her eyes before going to find Draco outside by the stone benches.

He was sitting on one of them, looking up at the sky. There were no stars visible, as it was pretty cloudy.

Elsa sat down next to him. “I'm sorry I ran away when you asked me. That wasn't fair to you.”

“Yeah, it wasn't.” He sighed, looking at her thoughtfully. “Do you have any idea how frustrated I was? Ever since last summer I wanted to ask you out for the ball.”

“You did?” She blinked in surprise.

“Hell yes. I didn't want to get it out the wrong way, or like, get the wrong message across. I wanted the moment to be perfect.”

Smiling, Elsa tilted her head. “And you thought surrounded by our waltzing classmates would be the perfect moment?”

Draco huffed a laugh. “No. Not at all. But...” he shrugged, “we were dancing, and you were smiling up at me, and it just slipped out. I was probably just as surprised as you.”

“I doubt that.” Elsa averted her gaze. “Just out of curiosity, what did you think would've been the perfect moment?”

“You'll think it's cheesy.”

“Cheesy isn't bad.” She laughed and nudged him with her shoulder.

“Oh, before I forget...” he changed the topic, pulling out a small box with a blue bow. “Happy birthday.”

Elsa grinned and took the box. “Thank you...”

Upon opening it, she found another charm for her bracelet. A small silver Eiffel Tower.

“Because you're obsessed with learning french...”

“It's beautiful. Can you attach it for me?” She held out her wrist and pulled her sleeve back so Draco had easy access to the bracelet.

He couldn't help but smile at seeing she still wore it.

“I wanted to wait for snow, actually. Then lure you out here, wipe a snowflake from your cheek and then ask you.” He confessed, distracting himself by fumbling with the charm.

“That would've been sweet. And cheesy.”

Draco laughed. “I was afraid I would've had to wait for your birthday. You know, because of your theory.”

“It's a fact.” And indeed there were a few single heavy flakes starting to fall.

The Slytherin shook his head. “Ridiculous.”

One of the thick snowflakes landed on Elsa's right cheek, not melting away.

Draco brought a hand up with a smile an used his thumb to wipe it off.

“Will you go to the dance with me?”

“Only if you tell me you didn't plan this.”

The both of them burst out laughing.

“Alright, I didn't. But that only means fate wants us to go to the ball together. And Blaise.”

“Using Blaise to deliver the message was risky. What if he had sabotaged you and I wouldn't have come out here?”

“Then I'd have one heck of a cold tomorrow and really would've had to invite Pansy...” He shuddered at the last part so theatrically that Elsa couldn't help but laugh again.

“You're such an idiot, Malfoy.”

* * *


	19. Chapter 19

* * *

In a way, Elsa was glad Yule Ball was finally there. That way, it would be over soon and normalcy could return to Hogwarts.

If she had to listen to another argument about which kind of style was the best, she'd throw up.

While she hadn't quite cleared up if she and Draco went as friends or if he had something entirely different on his mind, she was a tiny bit excited.

Or was it scared?

It was her first real ball, after all. And not in the way a royal ball was held. There was no strict etiquette to follow, so there wasn't much room for messing up.

With how much the other girls were freaking out over perfect hair and dresses, Elsa began to feel a little self-conscious.

The common room was pretty silent from five pm on with all the fourth to seventh year girls busy getting ready for the ball.

Elsa found Cho and Becky in their shared room, already in their dresses and taking their time dolling up.

Cho's dress was cream colored with elegant golden stitched patterns, perfectly matching her warm skin tone and silky black hair.

The raven locks were arranged in a complicated looking knot at the top of her head with a flower hairpin giving it a little pep.

Becky had used some Sleekeazy's that Hermione had mentioned to tame her pixie cut, also putting a glimmering headband to finish off the look. Her green dress was only reaching to her knees in the front, getting longer in the back.

The both of them were busy applying make-up.

“Aren't you gonna get ready too?” Becky asked, making a duckface at the mirror in their room.

Elsa blinked herself out of staring at Cho, who was effortlessly applying eyeliner.

“Oh, yes. I'm still trying to decide what to do with my hair.” She said, subconsciously fiddling with the knot at the base of her neck.

“Please, you wear updos all the time, any of them works.” Becky chuckled.

Smiling weakly, Elsa rearranged her updo. The smile faded slightly when she stared at herself in the mirror. She looked like a strict queen.

“That looks really posh! A diadem or something would fit perfectly!” Cho exclaimed. “But that would be a little over the top, wouldn't it...?”

Elsa winced. A diadem. Or a crown. “Yes, definitely too much.”

“Oh! But I know what we can do! Can I pleeeeaaase do your make-up?”

A little worried at Becky's enthusiasm, Elsa shrugged. She herself didn't even own make-up, and even if someone borrowed her some, she wouldn't know how to properly use it.

“Just... not too much, alright?”

“Don't worry, I'll make you look decently gorgeous! Come on, close your eyes and let me work.”

Becky sat on Elsa's bed with her make-up bag. The grinning face was the last thing she saw before she closed her eyes.

It took a while, but when Elsa was allowed to look at herself, the time was worth it.

Becky had applied some shimmering violet eyeshadow, mascara and cherry red lipgloss. A rosy powder was highlighting her cheekbones.

“It looks wonderful... thank you so much.”

“My specialty.” The brunette said proudly. “Now if you'll excuse me, I promised the girls I'd help them with their hair. I heard Padma is going with Ron Weasley.”

“Yes. Her twin sister is going with Harry.” Elsa confirmed, trying to gauge Cho's reaction.

However, the Asian was busy stuffing lipgloss in her little purse. “Anyway, I gotta go too. Cedric wanted to practice a few steps in his dressrobes before the ball.”

With that, the two girls were gone. Elsa heaved a sigh and put on the deep blue dress Narcissa had gotten her for Christmas last year.

Out of curiosity she held her foster parents' dress under her chin, her face hardening. That was what was becoming of her. A future queen, a role she's been formed into ever since she knew how to walk and talk.

And if she couldn't find a way to get out of the arranged marriage that was going to be the rest of her life.

All of a sudden Elsa felt like shattering the mirror. Her foster parents. Mighty king and queen. Wanting to save their kingdom and giving up an innocent girl's life for it.

She angrily tossed the dress in her trunk and pulled out a hooded cloak. Air, that's what she needed right now.

There was still plenty of time until the ball would start, and she just needed a few moments to herself, to use her powers and let go of her frustrations.

**xxx**

Draco was pacing in his bedroom, ever so often glancing at his reflection in the full-length mirror. While Crabbe and Goyle were fiddling with their ties, Blaise was already fully dressed, just as Draco, and sat on his bed.

"Merlin, would you please sit down? You're making _me_ nervous, and I'm only going with Pansy." Blaise tried to act annoyed, but he couldn't hide his amusement.

Who would've known the oh-so-collected and calm Draco Malfoy could be so nervous? Because of a girl for that matter.

The Slytherin in question shot his best friend a glare before reluctantly sitting down on his own bed, tapping his foot on the stone floor.

Blaise's laugh earned him another glare, which only made him laugh harder.

Of course Draco knew he was acting ridiculous, but he had all right to be nervous! He was taking Elsa, the girl that haunted his dreams, out to the ball.

More so, he finally wanted to ask her to be his girlfriend, to make it legitimate so no one would dare to make a move on her.

Namely Potter. Or Goldstein.

He knew he couldn't forbid her to spend time with her friends – she would give him some piece of mind for even trying – but he'd feel better about it if they were actually an item. As her boyfriend he came first, right?

Therefore he was a nervous wreck. What would he do if she refused? Draco really didn't know how he'd react if she wanted to remain just friends.

Knowing himself, he'd probably be mad. Later he'd regret it and try to apologize, but it would never be the same again.

Could he really risk asking and losing everything they had? He was sure it was more than friendship connecting them, but would she feel the same?

"Dude, calm down. You're wrinkling your robes. It's gonna be fine."

Draco looked up, seeing Crabbe and Goyle had already left the room to get help from some girls with their ties, since neither Blaise nor Draco wanted to help them.

With a sigh, the blond released the hold on the black traditional robe he was wearing and tried to smooth out the wrinkles his sweaty fists had left.

"It _could_ be fine. But what if it isn't?" he countered. Since they were alone now, he didn't have to act all tough.

"Come on, she agreed to go with you. She likes you. She won't turn you down." Not succeeding in smoothing his robe, Draco grabbed his wand to do it magically.

"Maybe I should wait. It's way too early for that. I don't wanna scare her away or something. You've seen how she'd reacted when I invited her to the ball."

Blaise rolled his eyes and stood up, crossing his arms. "You've been working hard to please her since you first met her. How long do you intend on waiting? Cause if you wait any longer, someone else might make a move on her."

Draco glared hard at his best friend, also getting up. "What do you mean? Has Potter tried something?" he asked, voice dangerously low.

Blaise raised an eyebrow, clearly amused, but trying to act serious.

"Not yet, but with how much time they spent before the first trial it won't be long before he does."

Draco, blinded by his dislike for Harry, clearly didn't see Blaise was only manipulating him and started pacing again, hands behind his back.

"Do you really wanna lose her to Harry Potter?" Blaise asked, trying hard not to grin.

"Hell no, I don't. But what if she really turns me down? It's gonna destroy everything I've worked so hard for. I don't want her to avoid me again."

His friend grabbed Draco's shoulders, stopping his pacing. "Dude, you'll never know if you don't even try. What if she says yes, huh? Maybe she's just waiting for you to make the first move, and you're too scared to do so? Grow a pair and just ask her!"

The blond shook the hands off with another glare and sighed with a shake of his head. Even though it annoyed him, Blaise was right. She clearly liked him in a way more than friendship. Why would she refuse to date him? He'd changed so much, just for her. It wouldn't have been all for nothing.

Without giving an answer, Draco just grabbed his wand from the bed and put it on the inside of his robe like he always did.

With the glare still present on his face he just left the room since it was time to go. And even though Blaise was the one receiving the glares, he laughed, loving how easy his best friend could be manipulated.

**xxx**

Elsa's flight from the castle was going as smooth as it could go. That close to the beginning of the ball everyone was busy with themselves in their dorms.

The princess took a deep breath of the cold air when she stepped outside, enjoying the freezing temperature.

But where could she go? Besides a few Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students nobody was running around outside, still it was too dangerous to use her powers here.

There were no possibilities to hide.

Biting her lip, Elsa made her way through the snow, using her powers to cover up her footsteps in case someone saw her.

While the forest was still a little creepy, it was her guarantee that nobody would discover her secret.

She didn't have to go in deep, maybe follow the path Hagrid had taken with Maxime when he showed them the dragons. Yes, that would be perfect.

With her quickened pace it only took her minutes to reach the clearing, finding it indeed empty.

Feeling calmness wash over her, Elsa shed her cloak and created a mirror of ice. A glare found its way on her face as she looked at her reflection.

Despite not being related by blood, she found herself looking closer to her foster parents than her own mother at the moment.

The hair like the queen and the expression of the king. They made this of her, a perfect little spawn in the chess game of fate.

Anger flooded her veins, spikes of ice jumping from the ground to accentuate her mood. The powdery snow twirled in the air, as if wind was playing with it.

She couldn't even blame them for having been forced into the contract, they haven't known any better.

But they could have – no, they _should_ have told her. About the contract, and that she wasn't really their daughter.

Instead of coming clean when they had the chance, they forced _her_ to sign her fate, to save their own backs and Anna.

The snow was flurrying around her, whipping through her hair. Using her rage, Elsa created blocks of ice and crashed them with others, enjoying how they exploded in shards of glittering icicles.

Her disappointment for her real mother hit her. Why did she leave the Spirit of Winter, and why did she just give her away to some random stone trolls in the mountains?

What did she think would become of her?!

The image of her living her life in her hometown, enjoying freedom without the bother of a child, made Elsa even angrier.

From what she had heard, that would fit Isabelle's personality perfectly.

Maybe she's just had enough of Winter and got rid of her baby so she could have her freedom back.

Elsa let out her frustrations through her powers, giving into the temptation to just go wild and let go for a few minutes.

She was out of breath when she was done, feeling way calmer now with a clear head.

It was stupid. She shouldn't dwell on the past. And most importantly, she had to stop skirting around the topic and face it head on.

And that started with confronting her foster parents. She would go back home in summer and tell them that she knew. Ask straight away for the contract, and if they wouldn't hand it over willingly she would just force them.

It was her future on the line, after all.

With the newfound willpower, she let the traces of her little breakdown thaw, except for the mirror.

The self-made winter storm had completely tousled her hair, the knot loosened and hanging off one shoulder as a messy ponytail. Without a brush she wouldn't be able to fix it, so she just pushed her bangs out of her face.

They stuck with tiny ice crystals that had accidentally landed there during her outbreak.

The main problem was the dress. It had ripped on several places, the puffed sleeves hanging off her shoulders.

She'd need to fix this somehow, or she'd have to wear the other dress. And that was something she wanted to avoid.

So she used her wand to stitch up the tears of the skirt, letting her ice flow into it to cover the whole dress in a white glittering snowflake pattern.

The sleeves were easily ripped off. Another thick layer of ice posed as new ones.

However, as soon as she was done with them they began to feel different. It was a surprise to find the ice layer had turned into actual fabric.

How was that possible? Luna had been right, her powers got stronger again. Probably mixed with her witchcraft...

Elsa shook her head, there was no time to dwell on it. She still had to fix her hair before she met up with Draco. At least the make-up hadn't smudged, as she wouldn't be able to fix _that_ on her own.

She threw the cloak over her shoulders and thawed the mirror again, hurrying back to the castle. There were plenty of students running around now, dressed in amazing dresses and fine dress robes.

They were all headed to the Great Hall, as the ball would start in a few minutes. Elsa hoped Draco wouldn't mind waiting for a bit.

Rounding a corner, she yelped when she ran straight into Becky.

“Elsa! There you are!” The brunette helped her up. “Cho asked me to come find you, the ball is about to start! You don't want to keep Draco waiting, do you?”

Without waiting for an answer, she pulled her along.

“W-Wait, my hair, it's-”

“It looks perfectly fine. Now we just have to get rid of this hideous thing...” Becky rolled her eyes and simply tugged the dark cloak off. “... Woah. That dress, fantastic.”

She pushed the cloak into a roaming third-year Ravenclaw's arms. “Here, put that in our common room or something, will you? Now come on.”

Elsa pathetically made to grab the cloak back, but Becky was already pulling her along again. Mere seconds later she found herself standing on top of the stairs that led to the main entrance.

There, about twenty students were still standing around. The champions and their dates were among them, waiting for their cue to start the Dance.

Several jaws dropped, as far as Elsa could see. Some jealous glances from several other girls, unbelieving stares all over.

Gulping, Elsa tried to keep her cool. Of course, she must look like she waded through a snow storm. Which she technically did.

Ignoring the stares, Becky practically flew down the stairs to find her date and tug him inside the Great Hall.

Elsa was about to take the chance and just flee, but then her eyes met wide silver ones.

Draco was at the bottom of the stairs, mouth slightly ajar as he stared up at her.

Even from up there she could see him gulping as he tried to compose himself.

Trying to get herself together, Elsa gripped the railing and began descending the stairs, head held high.

Who cared what the others thought about her? It was a stupid school ball, not an important business meeting.

Draco assisted her the last few steps, opening his mouth several times but unable to speak.

Elsa felt awkward, with how he couldn't even talk to her. Was he mad because of the dress?

She was glad when McGonagall finally ushered them all inside, except for the champions.

It had been decorated beautifully, it looked like a winter wonderland with glittering fake snowflakes on the enchanted ceiling.

“I'm so sorry about the dress.” Elsa winced as she and Draco mingled in the crowd.

“W-What are you talking about? You... You are gorgeous.” His cheeks grew a darker pink. “I don't know how you did it, but it's way better than before.”

Elsa couldn't help but smile.

The entrance of the champions signaled the beginning of the ball, and after they began dancing, the rest of the crowd began, too.

“I'm not sure your mother would appreciate me meddling with the dress she got me.” Elsa sighed as they moved along to the music. “It kind of was an accident. It ripped in a few places and I tried to fix it somehow.”

“Do I even wanna know how you ripped it?” Draco asked, amusement lacing his voice. He laughed at the look Elsa sent her.

“Okay, I get it. Don't worry, she won't mind. Especially if she knew how absolutely stunning you look.”

“Thanks.” Elsa blushed, lowering her gaze shortly. “You don't look bad yourself, by the way.”

“Believe it or not, I spent an hour in the bathroom to get the hair done.”

It had the desired effect, getting Elsa to laugh. Something in Draco's chest fluttered, making him grin.

“Sorry, I just-” Elsa laughed again, “I just imagined you, running around like a headless hen, putting single hairs in place...”

“Hardy har... I would laugh along, but it's actually the sad truth.”

“And yet you're laughing.”

He smiled and subconsciously reached up to make sure everything was still in place.

“I like your hair. I don't think I've ever seen them so...”

“Messy?”

“Yes, but in a good way! Not as strict and composed... way more playful.”

Elsa couldn't help but smile, reaching up to touch the tips that hung over her shoulder. It hadn't been supposed to end like that, but it felt... right.

“I thought I'd try something different. A little teenage rebellion against strict family rules.”

“There are rules of how to wear your hair?” Draco blinked.

“Did you think royalty was all about sugar and cotton candy?”

“... Yes?”

Elsa chuckled. “It's not, believe me. Anyways, princesses and queens are to keep their hair together in public, to show of their discipline and status. Wearing it open is not an option, according to... to my father.”

“That's stupid. You can be just as good a ruler with flowing hair.”

Teasing, Elsa flicked a strand of his hair out of place, enjoying how he gasped in indignation.

“Sure, because you're the expert when it comes to flowing hair.”

“You didn't just destroy my hard work, Winters.”

“Oh, I believe I did, Malfoy.”

It was good to talk to him again, like normal people. Like friends...?

A few times it looked like Draco wanted to say something, but cut himself off before he did. Elsa wondered what it was, but wouldn't want to inquire.

After some classical songs, a band took over, playing more modern music.

Not in the mood for uncontrollable and wild shaking around, Elsa and Draco sat down at one of the circular tables to eat something.

They were joined by Blaise, who had pushed Pansy off to some Durmstrang guy.

“Oh damn, Elsa, did you make that dress yourself?!”

Elsa looked up at Neville and Ginny, the redhead's eyes were wide as she touched the sleeves of her dress.

“Language.” She gently scolded. “Not completely. I just... modified it a little.”

“It's stunningly beautiful.”

Neville nodded in agreement, carefully avoiding looking at the Slytherins.

Blaise elbowed Draco, who cleared his throat. “Uhm. Have you already eaten? Do you wanna sit with us?”

Ginny grinned, taking a seat next to Blaise and pulling Neville down to sit on her other side.

Elsa gave Draco an approving smile, enjoying the casual atmosphere between them.

She saw Hermione dancing with Krum, appearing to have fun, while Viktor seemed to be a little distracted, his typical sour face in place.

Harry and Ron were both sitting down, talking about something with rather bored expressions. Parvati and Padma were nowhere to be seen, probably lost in the mass of students on the dance floor.

She would've asked them to join their little group too, but knowing her friends it would end in an argument.

The beginning of the current conversation had been a bit strained and timid, until they came to Quidditch.

Draco and Ginny were having a heated discussion about various teams Elsa hadn't ever heard anything about. It was fun to see them act so passionate about their favorite players.

Blaise and Neville had found a shared interest in Herbology. Elsa enjoyed seeing Neville come out of his shell, confidently discussing some plant in South America with the Slytherin.

While Elsa had nothing to say to any of the topics aside from not caring for them, she decided to leave them be for a while and use the break to go to the bathroom.

There were so many girls blocking the nearest ones, and Elsa craved some privacy, so she wandered a little further to an empty bathroom.

With her little adventure in the forest before and how smooth everything was going at the moment, she felt at peace. When she washed her hands she smiled at her reflection in the mirror.

Wearing her hair like this made her look a lot more like her real mother. Maybe she should wear it like that more often.

What she had told Draco was actually great. Teenage rebellion. Not as in doing drugs or anything, but in going against the tight rules of royalty. It felt wonderful.

On her way back, she paused at a window. The snow was coming down in thick flakes, a stark contrast against the inky black night sky.

She took her time enjoying the view, for the first time in ages not worrying about anything.

“What a pleasant surprise meeting you here, Crown Princess Elsa of Arendelle.”

Sky blue eyes widened, Elsa felt like drowning all of a sudden. The accent, he sounded like one of the Bulgarians.

Unable to breathe, Elsa forced herself to turn around.

“So that little troll spoke the truth. I never expected you to be a witch.”

Viktor Krum was standing there, tall and dominant, a sideways smirk on his edgy face.

Swallowing hard, Elsa tried to put on a neutral face. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“Of course you don't.” He grinned wider. “When that chatty troll told me about you, I just had to find you and see for myself.”

Elsa kept quiet, but inwardly her thoughts were racing. How did he hide his royalty as a famous Quidditch player? Was that his plan? Hiding in plain sight?

And what troll did tell on her, to the enemy?

Why did she have to chose a restroom that far off?

“At least you turned out to be quite pretty. Wouldn't want an ugly queen by my side now, would I?”

Her stony silence seemed to amuse him even more. Elsa had a hard time to not look intimidated. He wouldn't try anything here, would he?

“I have to admit, I had a hard time finding you. Until earlier that evening I thought dearest Hermione was the princess in disguise. She was acting overly mature and the age was fitting too, but I wasn't sure. Of course I couldn't just confront her right away and tell her our little secret, huh?”

The blonde clenched her fists. He had thought Hermione was her? That's why he courted her... he wanted to get closer to his target.

“And then I realized she wasn't a princess. Not at all. So I asked her about her classmates... and today I saw you coming down the stairs with all the grace of a queen. Despite the casual hairstyle. Hermione was quite gracious with her information, I wouldn't have told her if I were you, but well. I would've thought you'd at least change your name.”

Who knew how much he really knew about her? What sources he had? Denying it was useless, especially if Hermione had told him already.

“So Viktor Krum is a fake name?”

He appeared pleased that she talked to him now. He mock-bowed, eyes on her.

“Crown Prince Asparuh of the Eastern Seas. Your future husband.”

“I don't think so.” Elsa glared. “Your father forced my muggle parents into a magical contract. Exposing magic to muggles is against the law.”

Asparuh straightened, his jaw tightening slightly. “My father wouldn't believe me when I told him you being a witch would mean trouble. Good thing he's best friends with our minister.”

Elsa tried to calm her racing heart. At least he unknowingly confirmed that even in his country the exposure of magic to muggles was illegal.

“We'll see about that. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a ball to attend to.” She tried to muster up the most confident voice and turned around, head high.

She was already two steps ahead when Asparuh spoke up again.

“You know, you and your sister are nothing alike.”

Elsa stopped dead in her tracks, heart plummeting right into her stomach, making her feel sick.

“Little Anna can't control her feelings as good as you. So full of life, and easily trusting. Would be a shame if anything was to happen to her.”

The blonde turned around, glaring at him. “Leave Anna out of this.” She demanded.

It was ridiculous. Anna was safe beneath the shield. Grand Pabbie said it would keep wizards and witches out.

“Oh, don't you worry. _I_ won't do anything to your precious sister. I'm sure you already know about the blasted shield, that keeps us _wizards_ out.”

Elsa tried to control her breathing, and most importantly to keep her ice powers in check. The last thing she needed was for the enemy to find out what else she had up her sleeve.

The way he put the emphasis on _wizards_ , it made her shiver.

“What are you implying?” She asked anyways, trying not to give too much away.

“I think you know. Just mark my words, if you don't marry me willingly, father and I will have a Plan B. And little Anna plays a huge role in it.”

He gave her a dark triumphant look.

“Don't be a fool and play with your sister's life.”

With that he walked off, leaving Elsa standing with an empty and sick feeling.

Of course. She wasn't stupid. Just because they, as wizards, couldn't get past the shield, didn't mean they couldn't send their muggle servants.

They had a whole kingdom full of knights that could attack Arendelle.

They had probably already put in a spy after the gates had been opened, since he knew Anna by name and her character. It was worrying on so many levels.

Feeling drained, Elsa sat down on the floor, leaning against the wall and burying her face in her arms.

What was she supposed to do now? Even if she found the contract and a way to contact the Bulgarian Ministry of Magic, there was no guarantee that they would actually put the king behind bars. Not if they really were as close as Viktor/Asparuh had implied.

There she was, finally having positive thoughts and within a few hours they've been crushed.

She tried to come up with an easy solution, but there was nothing coming to her mind.

Having her foster parents disown her wasn't even a possibility, Asparuh would only go after Anna next.

Using her as blackmail was as evil a move as it was genius. Strategically speaking.

“Elsa? What are you doing up here? Are you hurt?”

Inwardly, Elsa groaned. She couldn't put up with Draco now. Her mind was a chaotic mess. She didn't want any understanding pity now.

Wiping at her eyes, she got to her feet.

“Hey, what's wrong?”

“Just... just leave me alone, Draco.” She forced herself to say, chest tightening.

“Very funny. What happened? Did someone hurt you?”

“I'm not joking... I just need some time to myself right now.”

Draco frowned. “... Did I do something wrong?”

Elsa felt herself tearing up again at his words. No, it wasn't his fault her life was a mess.

Being hugged to his warm chest, encircled by strong arms felt good. But with her emotions spiraling out of control, her powers were beginning to follow.

Scared of accidentally freezing him, she forced herself push him away and stepped back.

“Y-You didn't. It's me, I'm the problem.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I'm having problems I can't talk about. Not with you, not with anyone. Please just let me sort this out...”

“But you can talk to me, I-”

“I need to sort this out on my own, can't you understand that?!” Elsa yelled, breath hitching.

“Please calm down, let's sit down and-”

“I can't do this right now. I'm sorry.” Desperate to get away, Elsa ran. She needed a place to think calmly, where she didn't have to pretend and put up a mask, and lie.

Only when she was sure she wasn't being followed anymore did she stop.

She had no idea where she was, but the hallway on the seventh floor was empty, that was the only thing that mattered to her.

Going back to her common room wasn't an option, there were too many people.

For the first time in forever, she missed her room back in Arendelle. Back then her biggest problem was the boring reading material. And now the weight of her future and the future of Arendelle was resting on her shoulders.

Her frantic pacing stopped when she noticed a door that definitely hasn't been there before.

With shaking hands she reached out to open it, gasping when it revealed an exact copy of her room back at home.

What place was this?

However, she didn't care at the moment. It was just what she needed right now. A place to be alone, a place where she could be herself.

As soon as the door was securely closed behind her, Elsa let herself go. She cried freely, burying her face in one of the numerous fluffy pillows of the king-sized bed, while the room slowly froze over.

The next morning Elsa woke to the same helplessness she had fallen asleep in.

It was no use, there was nothing she could do at the moment. She began regretting coming to Hogwarts and making friends.

She should've just ignored the owl, kept on with her lonely and normal life. Then she would just be married off to the unknown prince, not knowing nor caring that he was a wizard.

Now that she tasted freedom it was torture to get back to it.

The holidays were spent completely isolated in her dorm. While her old bedroom had given her security, she knew she had to leave some time or people would start searching for her.

Cho and Becky had pestered her nonstop as to what had happened.

However, Elsa kept insisting it was nothing.

She didn't want to face the world again, scared to come across Asparuh again, scared to see Draco's disappointed and questioning face, not in the mood for all the questions.

Not counting her roommates, Marshmallow was the only social contact she enjoyed. The white ball of fur was sensing her owner's distress and snuggled up to her constantly, hissing at Cho and Becky whenever they wouldn't stop pestering her.

One of the perks of being in a different house than her friends was that she could have her peace.

Luna had been visiting her at the end of the holidays when she was back at Hogwarts. The younger blonde had been surprised at her disheveled state in comparison to her usually composed attire.

“I know you don't want to talk about it, but they keep asking me about you.” Luna said, sitting next to Elsa's laying form, playing with a few strands of the silvery hair.

“Why can't they just let me be...?” Elsa mumbled.

“They're your friends. It isn't like you to hide away.”

“Not like I can do that any longer once classes start again.”

“Is it a Spirit problem?”

Elsa turned around to face her instead of the window. “No... Though you were right. My powers really got stronger. My ice can turn into fabric now.”

Interested, Luna laid down to be face to face with her. “Fantastic... but that's not the problem, is it?”

Sighing, Elsa closed her eyes. “No. It's a princess problem. But I can't do anything against it without endangering my little sister's safety.”

“I thought your friends knew about that already? Don't you think they'd understand if you told them just that?”

“They're not like you, Luna. They would pester me, trying to help. But they can't, and it would only frustrate me more.”

“Evading them is not gonna solve the problem either.”

She was right, Elsa knew. Heaving another sigh, she rubbed her face with both hands.

“I know... Did Draco say something?”

“He's worried, of course.” Luna shrugged. “Hermione on the other hand didn't even ask about you... I think she's mad at you.”

“What for?” Elsa asked with a frown.

“I don't know. Ginny tried to talk to her, but she won't say.”

Did it have to do with Viktor? But he wouldn't have told her about the contract, would he?

Great, another factor of worry. Just what she needed.

During the off days it was easy evading everyone, since she was always eating very early in the morning. Now that classes would start again it was harder.

And indeed, her plan to sit as hidden as possible was thwarted when Ron and Harry immediately located her. Good thing she's had enough time to think of a cover story.

“A stomach bug?”

Elsa nodded, distractedly wiping her fingers clean with a napkin. “I think so. Must've been something I ate during the ball.”

“Why didn't you just go to Madam Pomfrey?”

“I was busy being sick, so I didn't really think about it.”

“Yeah, 'cause it's such a far-fetched thought to visit a healer when sick.”

Elsa rolled her eyes at Ron's words. She saw Hermione enter the hall and pointedly sit far away from them.

“What's up with Hermione, by the way?”

“Uhm. We're not entirely sure. Viktor kind of ditched her on Yule Ball, and she blames you.”

“Me?” Her eyes widened. “That's... that's ridiculous. Why would it have to do anything with me? I haven't even spoken one word to Viktor.”

She tried to act as confused as possible, and it seemed to work.

The boys nodded. “No idea. She's going crazy with her spew thingy even more than before.”

Elsa rubbed her temple tiredly. Of course, Viktor said he had asked Hermione about her, and then he left. To her, it must've sounded as if he was after her royal status and left her for Elsa.

“Anyways,” she changed the topic, “did you find out what the second task is?”

Harry poked the sausage on his plate. “No...?”

“You only have a few weeks left, and we probably need preparation time.”

“I _know_ , I'm working on it...”

Getting Harry into a bad mood? Check. Things really were getting out of hand for Elsa.

**xxx**

“What do you think you're doing?!”

“Let go, I'm going to talk to her.”

Blaise briefly thought about sticking a fork into Draco's hand to physically pin him to the table.

“Are you really that stupid or is this an act?”

Glaring at his friend, Draco lowered himself at the table.

“We haven't talked in two weeks, she was really upset, I need to-”

“You need to what? Play her sounding board again and stay forever in friendzone?”

“Look at her, something's troubling her. What ass would I be if I just watch her suffer?!”

“An ass that gets the girl of his dreams, perhaps?”

“How is ignoring her getting me closer to her?”

Blaise rolled his eyes. “If you run after her like a lovesick puppy she certainly won't be interested. She'll just see you the way she sees Goldstein.”

The comparison got Draco's blood boiling. He wasn't a lovesick puppy, and he definitely wasn't like Anthony Goldstein.

“So you expect me to sit back and watch Potter comfort her instead?”

“It doesn't look like there's much comforting going on.”

Indeed, Elsa appeared to be waving things off and Potter even seemed annoyed. That was good, Draco thought.

“I don't _want_ to ignore her.”

“Draco, you're my best friend, so I'm showing double of my usually non-existent patience with you.”

The blond worked his jaw to not snap at Blaise for his tone. It was nice to have some actual help, after all.

“Here, take Pansy, for example. We've all been friends since our early childhood, told each other everything. Now she clings to you like a leech, and that makes you push her away more.”

“... I don't like where this is going.”

“Ssh. Now if Pansy would suddenly ignore you and mind her own business all the time, you would wonder what was going on with her. You'd think about her more than usual, consider her, and so on.”

“Wrong. I'd be glad if she left me alone for a while.”

“At the beginning, yes. But since you've been friends for so long you will start to wonder at some point. That's how people work.”

“I didn't know you've become a relationship expert.”

“Durmstrang was boring, I've had lots of time. Trust me, my friend, by the end of the year she'll be all over you.”

Draco eyed Elsa from across the Great Hall. Ignoring her would be hard, but if it would finally get him out of the hated friendzone and make her his he would gladly make the sacrifice.

“Fine.”

* * *


	20. Chapter 20

* * *

Hermione's attitude stayed quite frosty towards Elsa during the next weeks.

The Ravenclaw just let the snide remarks roll off her shoulder, not showing how it hurt her.

There was also the mystery of Draco suddenly ignoring her. She hadn't expected him to give up so easily, but she should be glad he did. Even though she could've used her friend at the moment.

She had no idea what to expect when Harry asked her to join them on the next Hogsmeade visit.

Since it would help distract her from her worries, she agreed.

Elsa knew there was something up when Ron didn't even want to go into Honeydukes for some candy.

They were leaving Hogsmeade through a side alley that led into the Forbidden Forest.

“... Where are we going?” She asked, curious as to how secretive her Gryffindor friends were.

“You shouldn't have brought her along.” Hermione said loud enough for Elsa to hear. “Padfoot doesn't really know her, he won't trust her.”

“I already told you he knows about her. And he _wanted_ to meet her.”

“Who's Padfoot?” And why did he want to meet her? What was going on?

Harry slowed his pace to walk next to her, looking left and right to make sure there weren't any eavesdroppers. “Sirius Black.”

Elsa abruptly stopped walking. “The same Sirius Black that we helped escape last year? The same Sirius Black that is searched by every auror around? Hiding so close to the school?”

“That's a pretty long story. He's been a little worried about the Triwizard Tournament and wanted to see me in person.”

“... And why does he want to meet _me_?”

“No idea. Maybe he wants to thank you in person for freeing him from his prison chamber with Buckbeak.”

A large black dog approached them, and Elsa believed to remember seeing Sirius Black transform into one the previous year.

The dog happily greeted the three Gryffindors, tail wagging.

He came to sniff on Elsa's hands, the blonde trying to keep from pulling back. This was weird.

If she had known they planned on meeting a wanted – if innocent – criminal, she would've stayed at the castle with Luna.

They followed the dog up a steeper part of the forest to a hidden cave. It probably would've been better hidden in spring or summer, with bushes and trees hiding the entrance.

The dog vanished in the black hole, Elsa's friends following without a second thought.

Elsa hesitated a moment, before she also followed with a sigh. Wouldn't be the first time she followed her friends into trouble.

Inside it wasn't as dark as it could be. There were several torches lighting up the place that got wider and bigger after a few meters. Lots of old articles of the Daily Prophet and scribblings were scattered on the dusty floor.

Completely ignoring the transformation from dog to man, Elsa's attention was stuck to the hippogriff resting in a corner.

Buckbeak was perking up and came to meet her halfway, shaking out his feathers happily.

“Buckbeak!”

It felt good to see the hippogriff again, to feel his beak against the side of her face.

“And you are Elsa!”

The blonde turned around to face Sirius Black, now fully human again. He looked a lot happier than last year, and healthier.

While his hair was still wild and rather untamed, it wasn't as dirty and a little shorter. He also gained a little weight and his skin tone didn't match a skeleton anymore.

Elsa hasn't quite got to known him at all, but if Buckbeak trusted him she figured she could give him a chance.

“Yes, that's me. And you must be Sirius. Or do you prefer Padfoot?” She smiled, trying to act as if the whole situation wasn't awkward at all.

The man gave a laugh, eyes glinting with a happiness she wouldn't have expected from someone who's been innocently convicted and spent twelve years in a prison run by dementors.

“Call me whatever you like, girl. Though in my dog form I prefer Snuffles.”

He scratched an itch behind his ear, still grinning.

“Now that we got the greetings behind us, let's get to business.”

Apparently Harry had been informing Sirius of everything that had happened to him in the past months, and the Animagus had been doing research to find out how to help Harry and get behind everything.

Half of the time she didn't even know what they were talking about, but Barty Crouch seemed to be a big topic.

He had allowed the use of the Unforgivable Curses against Death Eaters back then, the followers of Voldemort, and everyone thought that would ensure him the position of Minister of Magic.

However, his son had been caught with the Death Eaters and was sent to Azkaban, where he died a year after. His mother found her death shortly after.

With everyone thinking Crouch senior was a bad father, Cornelius Fudge was announced the new minister.

While this was all very interesting, Elsa wondered what she was doing in this meeting. It was not like she could provide any answers concerning the ministry.

“Aaah, now wasn't that productive?” Sirius leaned back from his crouched position and stretched his legs out.

“Could you get me some food? I'm starving.”

“Yes of course, we'll be right back.” Harry, Ron and Hermione got up, Elsa following suite, but Sirius held up his hand.

“Actually, I was hoping you would keep me company, Elsa.”

Confused, Elsa hesitated. She wasn't stupid, Sirius obviously wanted to talk to her in private. The question was, did _she_ want that?

The Gryffindors didn't seem to have a problem with leaving her alone with him, so when they were gone Elsa lowered herself to sit on the ground again.

Buckbeak was laying comfortably next to her, fast asleep.

Sirius waited until he was sure the others were out of earshot before speaking up.

“You look exactly like your mother.”

Of all the things a stranger could tell her, Elsa hadn't expected that. “How do you know my mother?”

Chances were high that Harry had told him about her being a princess. But she didn't look like the queen, and with the shield Sirius couldn't have met her.

And if he was talking about Isabelle... did he _know_?

“I knew this was the wrong way to start...” He scratched his head again.

“Okay, you know how Harry's parents died when he was one and a half years old?”

“Yes...”

“Yeah, well, James was my best friend, and Lily was like a sister to me. So of course they asked me to be Harry's godfather. And as his godfather, I wanted to buy a perfect birthday present. So I was out shopping in Diagon Alley in June, hoping to find anything before Lily gave birth.”

The frown on Elsa's face stayed as she listened closely. She couldn't quite grasp how this was connected to whoever Sirius thought was her mother.

“Anyways, Lily forbade anything dangerous, and he would be way too young for a broomstick of course, so I wandered around aimlessly. And then I ran into this witch. She was totally anxious, clutching ab baby in her arms as if someone would take her away, almost hexed me in the middle of the street.”

Elsa blinked. Had Isabelle been on the run then? Harry's birth year was 1980, so Elsa would've been about six months old. The gravestone in her dream back then indicated their death in 1981, a year after.

“I apologized for scaring her and offered to buy her some tea to get her to calm down. She completely shut me out first, was very suspicious. I mean, back then everyone was, with the slow rising of You-know-who. Anyways, with her completely disheveled and distraught appearance she probably figured it would do her some good to relax a little.

“I distracted her, talked about my soon-to-be godson and how I had no idea what to get him. About what I'd want to show him and so on. When I asked her about her little daughter she got that protective look in her eyes, went all tense. She reluctantly told me the baby's name was Elsa. I've thought that was quite strange, since her accent clearly indicated she was french and Elsa sounded more nordic, but I thought, hey, maybe her husband was from up there somewhere. It's a shame I forgot to ask for her name.”

Elsa bunched up her skirt in her fists. This couldn't be a coincidence, could it? Why has she been on the run already? And why did the Spirit of Winter have his mental breakdown only a year later?

The more Sirius said, the more confusing it got.

“When I came back from paying for the tea, she was gone. I remember being completely flabbergasted to find the rest of her tea frozen in her cup. I searched for her, but she was gone.”

He shrugged.

“I saw her again in November. I was doing some business in the north of Scotland. There was a small village by a forest, where she was living in a small hut with a hippogriff, magically disguised as a horse.”

Sirius glanced at Buckbeak, confirming Elsa's theory that Buckbeak had been Isabelle's pet. That's why they shared this connection. But she couldn't tell her secret to a stranger.

“He's been following her?”

“Apparently. Anyways, she asked me to take him somewhere, since he would always give away her location and never left her side. You wouldn't believe how hard it was to get him to trust me and coax him away from her. I guess there has been some magic involved on her part, because if it hadn't been for the look in her eyes I would've given up.”

Veela magic, Elsa concluded.

“Suddenly she was gone and the hippogriff was devastated. I brought him to Hagrid. I haven't heard of her ever again. But when I saw you last summer, when you came to free me with Buckbeak, I thought it was her for a moment.

When Harry wrote me who you were, your name, I knew it couldn't be a coincidence.”

Elsa's thoughts raced. Isabelle had been on the run six months after her birth, probably even earlier. But why? And why have they been declared dead only in 1981?

Buckbeak was the pet hippogriff, Isabelle's pet, and that's why he liked her immediately.

“The only thing not adding up was that he told me you were a muggleborn princess?”

Elsa cleared her throat. “Uhm. I... My real mother gave me to a muggle family when I was about a year old. Harry doesn't know... nobody does. So I'd appreciate if you could keep the secret.”

“But... what happened to your mother?”

“Like I said, I was only a year old. I have no idea.”

Feeling a chilly breeze enter the cave, the torches flickering dangerously, Elsa got to her feet.

“I have to go now.”

“Hey, wait, I didn't mean to-”

Elsa didn't wait for him to finish and hurried to get out of the cave. On her run back to the castle she passed her Gryffindor friends, but didn't stop to answer their questions. She needed to digest this first.

**xxx**

Harry's and Ron's insistence in bugging her about the incident were both good and bad.

It was good, because it meant Sirius hadn't told them about it, which meant they wouldn't be able to connect the dots. She wasn't sure if Sirius knew he had been talking to Isabelle, wife of the legendary Spirit of Winter, but if he didn't it was better if he remained clueless.

On the other hand, the pestering was grating on her already frayed nerves.

Krum was fortunately keeping to himself and his Durmstrang classmates, acting as if he had never spoken a word to Elsa.

The princess didn't know how she would've reacted if he'd suddenly changed his behavior towards her.

Draco was still keeping his distance, even avoiding her to some point, which was confusing her even more.

Had she really been too harsh on Yule Ball?

However, there were more pressing matters that did wonders of distraction for everyone.

Harry had followed an advice given by Cedric and opened his mysterious golden egg under water.

The message was a riddle, which was quickly deciphered by the four friends.

He'd have to find something in the school's lake within an hour. That was problematic enough, since they had no idea how to make him actually be able to breathe under water, but there was also the dangers of whatever creatures lived there.

There was a legend of a giant squid, for example. Merpeople and so on. What if they'd be drowned?

Had Elsa been a champion, she wouldn't have participated this round at all. She couldn't swim, she'd sink like a sack of cement within the first minute.

Deciding the breathing problem had priority, the four spent their whole time in the library. Unfortunately there wasn't anything that would be helpful, since every spell that could help was way too advanced for them. And even if Hermione or Elsa _could_ learn it, they weren't allowed to help him during the task.

With the second task now only mere hours away and each of them beyond tired from basically reading through the whole night, they were getting desperate.

Needing to distract her mind a little, Elsa helped Neville to put away a stack of Herbology books.

“How's it going? You guys look tired.”

“We are. The second task is today and we haven't figured out how to get Harry through it yet...”

“Hm. I doubt I'd be of any help, but-”

“Longbottom, why don't you help Potter but his books away?”

Elsa jumped at Moody's sudden appearance behind her. Hermione and Ron were gone, only Harry was left sitting at one of the tables and repeatedly hitting his forehead on an open book.

Neville was eager to comply.

“Where are Hermione and Ron?” Elsa dared to ask Moody.

“Professor McGonagall requested their presence.” His answer sounded distracted, his magical eye giving her a once-over before rolling to the back of his head to probably watch Harry and Neville.

The two boys were talking about something, and Elsa was beginning to feel really uncomfortable with the professor.

“I better go help Ha-”

The scarred hand on her arm stopped her. She flinched away when Moody leaned a little closer.

“Something is going on with you. I can see it, so don't even try to deny it.”

“I have no idea what you're talking about.”

“I think you know exactly what I'm talking about. Powerful magic, unlike anything I've ever seen.”

Elsa pulled her arm from Moody's grip, glaring at him. Respect went both ways, she decided, and she was sick of being polite.

“Perhaps you should get that eye checked, then.”

With that she fled towards Harry and Neville. The man was seriously starting to freak her out.

He couldn't know that she had ice powers, he probably just sensed something different with her. Pabbie said her powers were shielded in a way, no wizard could sense them.

She could practically feel his magical eye on her, but refused to acknowledge it.

“Neville had a great idea, we have to get Gillyweed somehow!”

“Gillyweed... sounds familiar.”

Neville nodded. “Professor Sprout mentioned it last year. When you eat it you can breathe under water for about an hour.”

“Wasn't there a controversy about-”

“No, I don't want to hear it.” Harry interrupted them, holding up his hands. “It's the last straw, I don't have any other options.”

“The problem is, it only grows in the Mediterranean Sea...”

“Great, let's just take short trip there, maybe we'll be back before the task starts.”

“You're being sarcastic, aren't you?”

Harry and Elsa gave Neville a look, the latter shrugging sheepishly.

There was the distinct sound of Moody's limp as he left the library. Elsa shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself, a frown on her face.

“What a creep.” She mumbled.

“No, he's really cool! He got me this book about plants and promised to get me a copy of-”

“He saved me from being found by Snape and Filch when I sneaked around, you know, when I figured out the task.” Harry spoke over Neville to avoid a lengthy story about whatever famous Herbology book he was after.

“To you maybe, he's freaking me out.”

The three of them jumped at a loud _-plop!-_. The house elf Elsa met back in their second year, Dobby, had appeared in their midst.

“Dobby heard Harry Potter, Dobby can help!” The elf held up a gray-greenish something that looked like a bunch of slimy rat tails bunched together.

“Ew.”

“Harry Potter needs Gillyweed!”

“Where did you get that, Dobby?” Elsa asked, face scrunched up in disgust.

“Who cares? At least I won't drown!”

When the second task was about to start, Harry was being a nervous wreck. Hermione and Ron still hadn't showed up, not even to wish him good luck.

“It's gonna be fine,” Elsa tried to assure him, “just don't take any risks. If there's danger, retreat. It's not worth getting injured.”

“And if you see a Dabberblimp, you have to curl your toes so it doesn't settle in between them.” Luna advised before going to find a good place with Ginny.

“Dabber... what?” Thinking about whatever creatures they were took some of the nervousness away, which Elsa was grateful for.

“And remember, for an emergency you use _Ascendio_ to get you to the surface.” She told him, putting emphasis on the right pronunciation.

“I'm sure to remember this when I'm busy fighting for my life.”

“Would you pull yourself together?!” Elsa scolded him. “You survived a dementor attack, a basilisk, a gigantic spider, and Quirrel's attack. This is just a game for them, they won't let you die.”

Harry pouted. “None of those was easy.”

“And this won't be easy either, but you got to get through this, so man up.”

“... When did you become so forceful?”

“When did _you_ become a scaredy-cat?”

Both Neville and Harry blinked at her, not used to seeing her act like that.

Dumbledore announced the beginning of the task, so Harry found his place by the other Champions.

Elsa and Neville watched with trepidation. “Do you really think he'll be fine with the Gillyweed?”

“Technically, yes. I'm just not sure if he really has a full hour since it's not saltwater...” Neville bit his nails.

They saw him swallow the slimy weed and jump into the water in time with the others. For a moment it looked like it hasn't worked, but then he made in impressive jump to show he was fine.

Things were really quiet then. None of them could see what happened underwater, so it was rather boring to watch for most of the audience.

Elsa was quite busy worrying for Harry, hoping he'd be fine.

After about half an hour, Fleur resurfaced. She had to give up after a Grindylow attack.

Maxime put a fluffy towel around her shoulders and soothingly talked to her in french.

Fifty minutes into the task, Cedric appeared with Cho. Elsa blinked in surprise, she hadn't even noticed she was gone.

Shortly after Viktor came also up, Hermione by his side.

So the thing they had to find was their Yule Ball date? No, that couldn't be. Parvati was among the crowd and Fleur's date was also there.

Anxiously they watched the still surface. Harry hasn't come back yet. Just as the clock signaled the hour was up, Ron and a young girl broke the surface.

There was still no sign of Harry.

The girl turned out to be Fleur's sister, the champion hurrying to help her out of the water and tending to her, talking in a frantic pace.

Elsa handed Ron a towel, biting her lip as she observed the still surface. What was happening?

Suddenly, Harry flew onto the shore, coughing up lots of water. His pale skin was covered in marks, probably coming from merpeople.

The blonde sighed in relief, the crowd cheering. She hurried to get him another towel.

“You did great!”

“I came up last.”

“No, third. Fleur had to give up. And you survived, that's all that matters!”

However, since he had selflessly not only saved Ron but also Fleur's sister Gabrielle, he was rewarded with second place.

That made him, according to Ron, head to head for first place in the Tournament.

**xxx**

Since the final task would take place at the end of June, there was plenty of time for Harry and the other Champions to collect themselves.

There were no real hints as to what would await them, which meant they couldn't really prepare themselves.

One day they were waiting for Snape to come and start their Potions class.

The three Gryffindors were discussing something they had talked about with Sirius, so Elsa tuned them out.

If she started listening to whatever conspiracy theory they were up to, her curiosity would only get her deeper into it instead of distanced.

Pansy stepping up to their table was getting her attention, though. For a moment she thought she'd be the target of one of her taunts again, but this time Hermione was her goal.

With an ugly smirk, the Slytherin slapped a copy of Witch Weekly on the table top.

“Really good reading material, better than any romance novel.”

“Wow, I'm surprised you even know how to read.” Hermione snapped, taking the magazine and opening it to find whatever Pansy was talking about.

The Slytherin glared, but schooled her expression to act as if she was on higher ground when Hermione found the article.

Elsa and the boys leaned over to read over her shoulders, curious as to what was going on.

It was a stupid report from Rita Skeeter, a horrible woman, stating Hermione was using Love Potions to get first Viktor Krum and now Harry Potter to love her.

“What the... I'm not toying with feelings. This is rubbish.”

Pansy grinned. “Of course not. Why would an ugly mudblood like you need illegal Love Potions? Especially since they work _so_ well, hm?”

Hermione glared, not giving her the satisfaction of reacting verbally. That only seemed to fuel her on more.

“Though apparently Krum's seemed to have worn off a little too soon. Ditched you right at Yule Ball. Pathetic.”

She had struck a nerve, Hermione practically dived over the table. Ron held her back with difficulty, snapping at Pansy. “Shut your ugly trap, pug-face!”

Pansy refrained from giving a comeback, because just then Snape entered the classroom.

Calmly taking in the scene, he took twenty points from Gryffindor because he wanted to believe Hermione and Ron had started the fight. He put the two on either side of the classroom, leaving Harry and Elsa to work alone.

The princess found it a little suspicious that he didn't punish his favorite punching bag, and began the lesson instead.

However, when they were working, he got straight up in Harry's face.

Snape accused him of stealing Boomslang skin and Gillyweed from his personal stash.

At least now Elsa knew where Dobby has gotten it from.

Harry kept his cool, not giving away anything. Technically, he didn't steal it, but Dobby.

“One, two drops of this and you're finally gonna tell the truth.” He held up a little bottle of what he stated was Veritaserum.

“The use of Veritaserum is only allowed under special circumstances and has to be sanctioned by the Ministry.” Elsa wasn't able to hold herself back.

Snape's black eyes narrowed at her. “I don't believe I was talking to you, Miss Winters. Repetitive theft happens to be a special circumstance that-”

Something snapped in Elsa at the unfair and arrogant tone. Throwing all politeness out the window, she glared at Snape and interrupted him.

“You have no proof at all, no indication that _Harry_ was at your stash, nothing that would justify the use of Veritaserum on a minor.”

“Twenty points from Ravenclaw for utter disrespect and speaking in class un-asked.”

It had worked, however, since Snape went back to the blackboard then. Fortunately Karkaroff disturbed the class then, getting strongly on the professor's nerve about something.

“Damn, you should become a lawyer or something.” Harry commented while crunching up ingredients.

“Abusing one's power just makes me angry.”

“You've become pretty rebellious lately...”

Elsa didn't comment on that and just let out her frustration by forcefully squeezing the juices out of a dried fruit.

Apparently the mean reporter's article had more severe consequences. Hermione got hate mail, dozens of howlers and there was even a jinx that left her hands full of leaking and burning blisters.

Enraged, Dumbledore forbade Rita Skeeter to set another foot on school grounds.

Around Easter, it showed that even Mrs Weasley seemed to believe the ridiculous rumors.

While Harry, Ron and Elsa received big eggs with sweets, Hermione's was barely the size of a chicken.

“I'm sure if you explain it to her, Mrs Weasley will-”

“I don't need any of _your_ advice!” Hermione snapped.

Elsa recoiled, but didn't say anything. Her friend was still a little overly sensitive because of Yule Ball. It hasn't even helped when Elsa had said she hasn't even spoken one word to Viktor.

“There has to be a magic way she gathers her information. Maybe she has an invisibility cloak too.” Hermione mused, frowning around the hall as if she could spot her.

“I told you not to mess with Skeeter. She may be annoying, but there are lots of people that believe her stuff.” Ron said, wiping his fingers on a napkin.

“That nosy reporter's going down. I will find out her secret.”

**xxx**

“It's been four months, Blaise, this is ridiculous!”

“Quit your whining, you're doing fine.”

“She hasn't even asked me about the tutoring!”

Blaise rolled his eyes, putting down the Herbology book he was thumbing through.

“Her marks are still above failing, technically she doesn't need you to tutor her anymore.”

“You said it would draw her to me, instead she's sticking to Potter all the freaking time!”

“Could you stop bitching around? She asked me about you a few times. If you were okay and all.”

“Sure, and you didn't think to tell me that when she did.”

“No, because you would've immediately run after her again. Just... _chill_ for once, would you? Let her miss you for a bit. Let her come to you when she worked through whatever her pretty little head is mulling over.”

“But I miss her, too.”

“Boohoo. Then go, be a _good friend_ until school's over and you can play best man at her wedding.”

Draco glowered at the lit fireplace in their common room, arms crossed. He was starting to doubt Blaise's logic, like seriously.

But the image of her marrying some random guy, that beautiful smile directed at someone else... no, he couldn't.

“I hate you.”

“Same.” Blaise flipped him off nonchalantly.

**xxx**

At the end of May, Harry was told that the final task would be to get to the center of a maze, filled with obstacles.

There had been an incident with Barty Crouch, but Elsa stuck to her will to keep out of that. Especially since Professor Moody seemed to be heavily involved in the matter.

Ever since their little confrontation in the library, she steered clear of him, always making sure she wasn't alone with him.

“I can't believe you're not curious at all!”

“I'm not. There are _people_ to take care of that, an auror involved, and you have plenty other things to worry about.”

“There's still some time until the final task...”

“Yes, and you're gonna wait until the last week again. And then we all will end up with lots of sleepless nights to make you learn all the helpful spells.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Oh look, there's Moody. I wanted to ask him if he found Crouch yet.”

“Great, you do that. I'll be in the Great Hall.”

“Come on, don't be a spoilsport. He's not so bad.”

“I'm not gonna warm up to him, no matter what you say.”

“You know, you're always telling us to give Malfoy a chance, but you're completely standoff-ish when it comes to Moody.” Harry crossed his arms.

“There's just something fishy about him. If you like him, fine. But I'll stick to my gut feeling.”

Elsa found herself quite enjoying her more rebellious side. Snape taking housepoints didn't bother her as much as it should, and going against his unfair treatment was feeling really good.

With Moody it was a similar satisfying feeling, though he was still creeping her out.

There was no need to antagonize any of the other teachers, but she found another way to go against her foster parents' strict royal rules.

While it wasn't that big a deal for normal teenagers, it was giving Elsa a rush to let her hair down, for example. Wearing it open was too annoying because it would fall in the way constantly, but instead of neat updos she kept the silvery blonde lengths in messy buns or ponytails.

The looks she kept getting for it were worth it, if a little strange. It felt as if she was suddenly bathed in a glowing aura.

The Beauxbatons girls, including Fleur, were encouraging her. They took her to their midst during dinners and included her in their conversations as if she belonged there.

Despite having troubles following them due to their pretty heavy accents, Elsa enjoyed the talks.

It distracted her from Draco's weird behavior, or the stress of the upcoming exams, or the stress of helping Harry learn a bunch of spells for his last task... Stress in general.

She figured she should probably talk to Draco, inquire what was the matter so they could go back to being friends again. After the finals, she mused, she would do that.

Blaise hasn't been very helpful with that, as he would evade her questions.

History of Magic was their last exam, ending with lunch and then it was time for the last task.

They had prepared Harry as good as possible, there wasn't much more they could do for him.

He wasn't as nervous that breakfast as he's been with the other tasks.

“Maybe they know how Rita Skeeter gets her information...” Hermione mumbled, eyeing a giggling Pansy from across the hall.

“Seriously, I think we have other matters to care about right now.” Ron rolled his eyes. “Like History of Magic.”

“I offered to help you study.” Elsa said, tilting her head.

“Excuse me, I was busy playing dummy for Harry's practicing!”

“Dummy is the right word.” Hermione snapped. “Whatever, I'm going to look something up. See you for the exam.”

With that she was off. Dumbledore announced that the Champions were to meet in the side room, so they could spend the day with their families before the final task.

Elsa hadn't thought much of it by then. She and Ron went to their exam. Ron had told her that his mother and Bill were there instead of the Dursleys, and that it was a surprise for Harry.

However, the shock came during lunch, after the exam.

Mrs Weasley and Bill were sitting with Harry at the Gryffindor table, Ron and Hermione eager to join them.

Cedric's parents were at the Hufflepuff table with him, at the end of the Ravenclaw table Fleur was talking animatedly with her mother...

She swore her heart stopped beating when the thought finally caught up with her. The Champions' parents.

Viktor, Asparuh, was a Champion.

Hoping to not look too spooked, she glanced at the Slytherin table, where Viktor was sitting next to a pretty old man.

From first glance, Elsa wouldn't have pegged him as a king, but then again, he only got the title because he married into the status.

It was a grumpy expression on his face, though he gave a bitter laugh at something his son said.

Viktor noticed her then and nudged his father, nodding in her direction. The king's eyes found her, making Elsa freeze.

Gulping down her sudden panic, Elsa sat down where she stood, hoping to hide from the gaze.

“I'm surprised you're not sitting with Harry today.”

Anthony's voice got her out of her daze. She had coincidentally sat by him and Michael.

“Uhm.” She had no idea what to say. It felt as if all air drained from her, she was scared to even look in the direction of the Slytherin table anymore. “I don't know.”

“Damn, you're as white as a sheet. The exam wasn't that bad...”

Elsa made no move to take food. She was calculating how weird it would look if she sneaked out of the Great Hall in a ducked position.

They wouldn't try anything here, would they? It was ridiculous, they couldn't. Not with so many witnesses around. And what would they even do? Aside from scaring her to not go against them when it came to it, of course...

Ginny came to stand by her. “Hey, what's up? Mom was looking forward to see you too, come sit with us!”

“I... I'm... uhm.”

“Are you okay?”

“A-Actually, I think breakfast is disagreeing with me. I'm gonna go get some air.”

“Hold on, I'll come with you.”

Ginny gave a sign to Luna, who had been talking to Bill about his earring, and waited for the younger blonde to catch up.

Elsa wanted to decline their companionship, but found it was better like that. Viktor and his father were less likely to try anything when she wasn't alone.

Outside, they sat in the shade of a tree.

“Does it help? You're feeling better?”

Not being in the same room as the evil king and prince was indeed making breathing easier.

“Yes.”

They talked about the last task, and how glad they were the exams were finally over.

“Do you know what's up with Draco?” Ginny asked, tugging a few pieces of grass out.

“What do you mean?”

The Weasley rolled her eyes. “Come on. Ever since Yule Ball he avoids you. What happened?”

Elsa absentmindedly played with a strand of her hair. The reminder of the ball was upsetting her.

She had reacted so badly, she should've just explained to Draco why she needed to recollect herself, why she needed time alone.

But it hasn't been easy. It never was.

“I just... needed some time to myself. I was a little harsh in expressing that.”

“He's pretty resentful, hm?”

“We haven't really talked it out yet. I'm going to speak to him tomorrow, after the excitement of the final task wore off.”

“That's- ugh, the fairies come.”

Frowning at the weird comment, Elsa and Luna looked up to see the Beauxbatons students coming from the castle to get to their carriage.

Apparently Ginny wasn't too fond of them.

Elsa blinked when Maxime came to stand by them.

“Ma petite puce, may I talk to you for a moment?” Despite having been in a rather sour mood the past months, the tall woman was smiling down at Elsa.

Both Ginny and Luna's eyes were wide as they watched the conversation with interest.

“Of course, Madame.” Elsa agreed and got up.

“Let us have a little walk in this wonderful weather.”

A little confused, the Ravenclaw nodded and they walked over the lawn, along the first trees of the Forbidden Forest. Elsa was having trouble keeping up with the long strides.

“Isabelle loved the sun, it was nearly impossible to keep her inside.”

Elsa shrugged. “It's a little too warm for my taste.” She admitted, shrugging one shoulder.

“Mh, interesting. Must have to do with your father's powers...”

“Probably.”

“Ah, I can't prolong this any more!” Maxime stopped walking and bowed a little to be closer to Elsa, a smile on her slightly wrinkly face.

“I've been thinking a lot since your confession.”

Elsa tilted her head, wondering what she was up to.

“Obviously there has been a mistake. Nobody knew Isabelle had a daughter, everyone thought she's still in Spirit World. If we had known, you would've got an invitation for Beauxbatons Academy, of course. Not Hogwarts.”

“But I'm here now.”

“Oui. Look, I usually don't do this, and it took me some convincing of our school board and ministry, but I want you to transfer to Beauxbatons. You fit perfectly with us, and you won't have to worry about anyone knowing about your origin. Our walls are very discreet. We could work on your ice powers.”

Sky blue eyes were wide at the surprising offer. For a moment she didn't even know what to say.

“I... I don't even speak french yet...”

“You've learned quite much, I'll assign you a private tutor to perfect it.”

“I don't know what to say.”

“You don't have to answer right away. Just think about it. I have to go now, Fleur wanted me to talk to her parents some more.”

Elsa watched her walk away, biting her lip. Could she really do this? Just go away and leave her friends?

Later that evening, shortly before the task would start, Elsa met up with Harry and the others to wish him good luck and make sure he was properly prepared.

Hermione pulled her aside when the Weasleys and Harry went to the Quidditch pitch, where the maze was waiting for the Champions.

“We need to talk.”

Elsa was a little surprised at that. “Yes?”

“Harry and Ron said you haven't spoken one word to Viktor, and I guess I knew that...”

“He spooks me.” Elsa said, clenching her fists so she wouldn't lose her cool.

“... But I was really mad at you for a while.”

“I noticed.”

“Thing is, I need your help.”

It wasn't an apology by any means, but Elsa was glad they were on the way to recovering their friendship.

“With what? You know a way to assist Harry?”

“No, it's about Rita Skeeter. I'm sure our dear Slytherin classmates are involved somehow. I want to talk to Pansy, threaten her a little. I was thinking you could talk to Draco or Blaise if they know?”

“Oh.” Elsa shrugged one shoulder. “Alright. I wanted to talk to Draco anyways. Tomorrow I will-”

“No, it has to be today. She needs to be stopped before she makes up a ridiculous tale about the final task.”

There was a heavy weight in Elsa's chest. She wanted to be there for Harry, but they wouldn't know anything that happened in the maze anyways. Just like it had been with the lake.

“That's fine I guess...”

“Good, I overheard Pansy wanting to go to the bathroom before the task. I'm gonna catch her alone. Draco is probably on the way to the Quidditch pitch.”

Indeed did Elsa find him among a few of his classmates outside. She hurried to catch up with them.

“Draco?”

The blond faced her, appearing surprised. “Yeah?”

“Can we talk?”

He exchanged a look with an entirely too smug Blaise, who gave him a little push into her direction before walking off with the other Slytherins.

“Sure.”

“Let's... let's go inside.” She didn't want to talk about everything where anyone could overhear them.

They walked in silence, until Elsa figured out how to start.

“About Yule Ball... I didn't want to be so harsh to you. There was just... something happened that had me in a really bad mood. I needed to work it out first.”

“I guess I shouldn't have pushed you so much to tell me when you weren't ready.” Draco automatically said, rubbing at the back of his neck.

“But to be fair, you took quite some time to confess your blood status, or your origin. What else was there to work out?”

Elsa wrapped her arms around herself, checking their surroundings. They were in front of an empty office next to the DADA classroom. Moody's office.

With the final task having started, it was empty.

She walked inside and waited for Draco to follow before closing the door.

“You didn't tell anyone, did you?”

“Of course not, what do you take me for?!”

“I'm sorry, okay?” Elsa sighed, rubbing at her temples.

“You just ditched me at the ball and it took you half a year to finally talk to me. And now you don't even want to tell me what rode you?”

Elsa bit her tongue. “You were avoiding me too.”

“I'm just sick of being your sounding board for anything only when _you_ see it fit. This is not how it works.”

“I know...” She sighed. “... but this isn't easy for me.”

And he didn't even know the _real_ secret. The largest, the most dangerous. However, she had already taken a great risk when she told Luna.

“It's not easy for me either.” He leaned back against a black cupboard and ran a hand through his hair, messing it up.

“I can't go back to being your friend. Not anymore.”

Elsa's shoulder hunched up slightly. “Because I don't boast about my private problems?”

“No...” Draco gulped, not sure where to look. “Because I don't see you as just a friend anymore.”

Having expected that confession for a while now, it wasn't that much of a shock. Still, hearing it so straight-forward was making her heart pound heavily.

She clenched her fists, feeling her nails dug into her skin so she wouldn't lock up completely.

Silver eyes found her blue ones when she didn't answer.

“... Could you please... just say something?”

“I... _We_ can't, Draco.”

Shaking his head, the Slytherin scoffed. “And why not? Is it Potter?”

“W-What? No!”

“Then what is it? Why can't we be more than friends?”

Elsa closed her eyes, taking a shaky breath. “My parents arranged a marriage for me when I turn eighteen.”

There was no need to go into detail.

Draco recoiled. “Are you kidding me? This isn't the 18th century anymore. They can't force you into a marriage.”

“I don't have a choice, the prince threatened to hurt my sister.”

“To me it sounds like you're just phishing for excuses! You live in a freaking castle, with guards and walls for protection.” He shook his head.

“Why do you conceal your true feelings?!”

Elsa felt ice starting to tingle in her palms as a bout of frustration hit her.

“You have no idea what's at stake if I lose control of my feelings! If I make one wrong move everyone will know!”

Confusion started to take over Draco's face, his breath becoming visible as the room grew considerably colder.

Realizing it was her doing, Elsa tried to calm herself down.

Draco frowned deeply. “What do you-”

He was interrupted by footsteps coming closer. Judging by the _-thunk-_ every second step, it was probably Moody. A second, limping set was with him.

Was the Tournament over already? How long had they been talking?

The professor would have their heads for being in his office, but it was too late to go somewhere else, he would see them.

Draco frantically ripped open the black cupboard and gestured for Elsa to get inside first.

It was a tight fit, but better than the alternative. The Ravenclaw could faintly smell the scent on Draco's robes and couldn't help but relax a little. It reminded her of sandalwood.

Hiding in there wouldn't work, Elsa thought, not with Moody's magical eye.

However, Moody only had eyes for whoever was with him, since he didn't even stop talking to them.

Elsa frowned when Draco firmly put a hand over her mouth, eyes narrowing through the few slits that sat too high for Elsa to see through.

A second later, though she realized why Draco had taken the precaution. Harry's voice sounded weak and strained as he responded to Moody.

Was he hurt? But if he was, why wasn't he in the hospital wing?

She strained to understand what they were talking about. Something about a cemetery... and Voldemort? He was back?

At that, Draco froze so abruptly Elsa feared she accidentally used her powers. However, she could still feel his barely controlled breathing washing over the top of her head.

He had gone deathly pale, the silver eyes wide.

Elsa blinked. She hadn't realized that Draco was scared of Voldemort. She had thought the purebloods were safe.

It was revealed that Moody had been on Voldemort's side all along. That he put Harry's name in the goblet of fire, made sure he got through the tasks and would reach the Triwizard Cup first. He helped him through the maze and made the Cup a portkey that would bring him to a cemetery, where Wormtail had used him to bring back Voldemort.

The confusion only grew. Despite not seeing anything, it sounded as if Moody wasn't really Moody, but Barty Crouch Jr. But wasn't he supposed to be dead? And what did he mean he killed his father?

There was a burst that had Elsa jump and almost yelp into Draco's hand, but she caught herself in time.

Dumbledore had entered the room with Snape and McGonagall. Draco tensed up some more.

From the conversation that followed, Elsa gathered that the real Moody had been trapped in a magical trunk so Crouch could use him to continue brewing the Polyjuice Potion.

He confirmed it after being force-fed Veritaserum.

There was a lot of talking and bustling around. Dumbledore told Harry to go to his office at last, while he himself would stand watch over a stunned Crouch until McGonagall's return.

“I believe it's best if you two go to your common rooms now.”

The cupboard doors opened with a flick of Dumbledore's wand. Draco didn't have to be told twice, leaving with a gray and fear-stricken face.

Elsa didn't quite have the same urge.

“Professor, what happened to Harry? Why isn't he in the hospital wing?! Is it true that... that _He_ is back?”

Dumbledore appeared older than he was. “Harry went through a lot in the past hour, Elsa. I need to talk to him before he can succumb to a healing sleep.”

Biting her lip, Elsa refrained from giving the headmaster a few choice words. If he needed to talk to him first, fine. But she wouldn't just go to sleep in her dorm now. Not until she knew what exactly was going on.

She made her way to the hospital wing, surprised to find Mrs Weasley, Bill, Ron and Hermione already there.

They all looked very disturbed. Elsa really regretted not going to the task. What had she missed?

They explained that Harry had come back with the Cup and Cedric, the Hufflepuff dead.

That was a shock to Elsa. Cedric _died_?

There was a lot to talk about, but after Harry arrived in the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey had put him to sleep.

The answers would have to wait.

**xxx**

The end-of-term feast was dark. Instead of the house cup winners' colors, the flags were a deep black.

Dumbledore managed to put into words what nobody could've. The overall mood was, understandably, sad.

Cho hadn't slept since the end of the Tournament, had cried the whole night. She had loved Cedric, and now he was gone.

The headmaster also told them all what happened, including the message that Voldemort, the most powerful dark wizard, was back.

Durmstrang and Beauxbatons had already left. Elsa's decision had been all too easy.

Of course she had to stay, to support Harry after all of this. She didn't want to leave her friends, and Maxime was, though rattled by the happenings, very understanding.

Elsa's eyes found Draco across the hall by the Slytherin table. The two of them exchanged a long stare, that was broken by Draco.

Something was breaking inside.

The train ride home was a quiet affair. None of them seemed to be in the mood to talk about anything anymore.

Hermione jerked upright as if suddenly remembering something. “Oh, right.”

She pulled a jar from her bag, a large beetle trapped inside with a twig. “I found out what Skeeter's secret is.”

“A beetle?”

“Yes. She's an unregistered Animagus, like Snuffles. Only that her animal form is a stinky little bug. And if she writes one more horrible article, her secret won't be a secret anymore.”

“What do you intend on doing with her now?” Elsa frowned at the trapped beetle.

Hermione shrugged. “I'll free her when we're at the station. Maybe.”

The girls and Ron glanced at Harry, who was staring out of the window, lost in thought. They just hoped he'd get his spirits back.

* * *


	21. Chapter 21

* * *

On the way back to London, Draco sat in a compartment with Blaise, Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle. Each of them was strangely quiet, which had nothing to do with Cedric Diggory's death.

The reason for their silence was the message  _ Lord Voldemort was back _ .

They couldn't know for sure if it was true, but they feared the worst. Why would Dumbledore lie?

And after all, each of their parents had claimed they felt the Dark Mark burn more often. Not to mention the tension Draco had noticed in his father's whole composure since the happenings at the World Cup the previous year.

"Do you think it's true?" Pansy asked the blond Slytherin, for once not clinging to him like a leech.

Her voice was rather shy and cautious, which didn't fit her personality at all.

Draco let out a sigh and shrugged. "No idea."

The signs were definitely there. But the only way to find out for sure was to ask their parents when they got home.

They all feared the answer. Even though their parents had always said it was a pity the Dark Lord had vanished, they knew they were relieved he was gone.

According to Mrs Malfoy, he hasn't been a very good or fair leader and rather counted on being feared than respected.

Even back then when they were too little to understand they could tell their parents feared Voldemort.

The train ride was long as usual and left the group of five plenty of time to think. Not even Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle were in the mood to go bully students.

Draco's mind wandered to a certain blonde Ravenclaw, even though he'd rather not think about her.

He still didn't get what was going on with her. He's done everything for her, he even accepted that fool Longbottom and that Weaselette, being nice to them and Luna Lovegood.

Was the arranged marriage really just an excuse? And if it wasn't, why didn't she fight? Just because of her sister?

She was a witch, for heaven's sake, and as soon as she was seventeen she could send the deranged prince to hell.

Draco inwardly sighed. Not that it mattered now, of course. With the potential threat of Voldemort being back, he could forget ever being with her.

With her being a muggleborn, the Dark Lord would kill him for even considering it. _If_ he was back.

Not even being royalty could make up for that. Not if the horrible tales he's heard about him were true.

The worst part of it all was that Potter was closer to her than him now. Draco couldn't be her friend anymore, but Potter could. And if he was interested in her like that, too... No, he didn't want to think about it.

There was also a big question mark on what she had said in Moody's office. If she didn't conceal her feelings everyone would know, that's what she had said.

It just didn't make sense.

If she had been talking about her being a princess, who cared? If _he_ were royalty he'd let everyone know so they could worship the ground he was walking on.

But not Elsa. She was way to good for that. And humble.

He would've loved finally getting some answers, but then Moody and Potter had arrived.

Being stuck in that closet, pressed up against her, smelling her sweet scent, would've been not bad at all. But the shocking news that the most evil dark wizard was back had blocked his senses completely.

Voldemort would definitely call his old servants back into service. And his father would have to follow. Each of their parents would have to.

While Crabbe and Goyle didn't seem to grasp many things, they knew dark times lay ahead of them.

Pansy was utterly scared, mutely tearing tissue over tissue apart in her lap. Until her parents would assure her, she'd remain fearful.

Draco wouldn't mind her staying quiet a little longer, despite his own worries.

He decided, for his own good and for Elsa's, that he'd give up her feelings for her.

She obviously didn't want him as her boyfriend with an arranged marriage in the way. And with his own origin weighing it down, a possible relationship would be damned anyways.

Back at Malfoy Manor the young Slytherin's fears were confirmed.

His father had been there when Voldemort tried to kill Harry Potter on that cemetery.

He wasn't all too happy, but was convinced that things will get better now.

Lucius had been almost killed, but vowed his family's loyalty to ensure their survival.

With both his mother and his father assuring him that he wouldn't have to worry, he felt a little better. At least not as heavy as before.

As long as they did what Voldemort asked them to, everything was fine. It was better than being killed, Draco thought.

They spent the summer like they always did, with the small change that his father often had to attend Death Eater meetings whenever the Mark burned, but Draco forced himself to be calm about it.

According to his parents everything was going fine, so it  _ was _ fine. 

Narcissa knew her only son quite well and knew immediately something wasn't right with Draco. He was spending way too much time in his room, not even going out to meet with Blaise and the others for some Quidditch.

Deciding she needed to find out what's bothering her son, Narcissa knocked on his door.

As expected she was allowed to come in and sat on the boy's bed, where he was reading a book about Potions.

"Blaise was here before. He asked if you wanted to come to your usual Quidditch spot for some training."

Without looking up, Draco shook his head. Narcissa sighed, not used to her son's disinterest.

"Is everything okay at school?" She prodded carefully.

Draco glanced at her over his book with a frown. She never casually asked him about school.

"Everything's fine, mother. My grades are good, I didn't even get detention this year, my homework for over the summer is already done." He listed, being suspicious of his own mother. She wouldn't dare to bring up-

"What about Elsa? I thought she'd come with you?"

Draco ground his teeth, purposely burying his face in his book again, even though reading was out of question now. Knowing his mother wouldn't stop bugging him until she got an answer, he shook his head stiffly.

"Elsa won't visit us again." That was all he said, hoping his mother would catch on and he wouldn't have to spell it out for her.

He was pretty sure Snape hasn't told his parents about her being a princess, so he needed to think up an excuse as to why she wouldn't come anymore.

"Oh honey, do you want to talk about it?"

So that's why he spent the days sulking in his room. The first time he had brought her over, she had immediately seen that his son took a liking to the orphan. And now they broke up. Her poor baby's first heartbreak.

"I most certainly don't want to talk about it, mother." He glared at his book, groaning in annoyance when she tried to get him to open up again.

He really didn't want to talk about it. And especially not with his parents.

"You know what? I changed my mind. I'll meet up with Blaise." He decided and hurried to leave the room before his mother could bug him again.

Draco soon regretted his decision, when he found out Pansy was also tagging along.

Instead of playing Quidditch, they just sat on the grass at their usual spot and talked.

They clearly avoided the "V-Topic" and rather talked about the upcoming year.

"Mom heard in the Ministry that this year some secretary of Fudge is going to teach DADA." Blaise started.

"She doesn't know her that well, only that she's been in Slytherin too and apparently she's pretty strict, despite her fuzzy appearance."

Draco raised his eyebrows in a bored way, while Pansy nodded.

"Dad said we should try to get on her good side. Some of her methods are quite scary."

They all agreed it would be for the better. It shouldn't be too hard if she really had been a Slytherin too. Teachers seemed to favor their old house anyways.

"Do you think Potter will become a prefect?" Blaise asked, making Draco roll his eyes.

"Of course. He's Dumbledore's favorite. Potter and Granger will probably be Gryffindors' new prefects." He assumed, though he was pretty sure of it already.

"Wanna bet? I say Potter won't become a prefect."

Draco narrowed his eyes at his best friend. They had this knack of betting on various things, mostly Quidditch matches, or last year about the Triwizard Tournament.

The loser would have to do whatever the winner wanted for 24 hours.

Draco wasn't sure whether he was in the mood for one of their silly bets with the threat of the "V-topic" looming over them or how he certainly didn't want to do anything related to the equally forbidden "E-topic"...

"Alright, but I want a change in the rules. Others aren't allowed to be involved in the bet." Blaise made a face of displeasure and Draco was glad to wipe that grin off his face.

"Fine, whatever." They shook their hands to seal the bet, making Pansy roll her eyes. Boys were unbelievable sometimes.

" _However_ , I'm sure that oh-so-fine Miss Winters will be a prefect too. She's so-" The Slytherin girl was cut off when Blaise shoved her, motioning to Draco's glaring face.

The two of them had agreed not to mention Elsa as it was still a sensitive topic for their friend. Blaise sighed. He finally had Draco to cheer up a little with their bet, and now Pansy had to destroy it all again. He never should've invited her to come along.

"Yeah, whatever, I'm leaving." Draco stated and grabbed his broom, glaring at nothing particular as he took off towards home.

Over the next few weeks, his mother was quite... annoying. She didn't bring Elsa up again, sensing her son wouldn't want to talk about her.

Instead, she stated how beautiful the Greengrass girls were, or what a sweetheart Pansy was. Both statements were obviously not true, at least in Draco's eyes, but it seemed this was the way his mother tried to make him get over his first crush faster.

At first Draco managed to block out his mother praising other pureblood girls, but after a while (and a talk with Lucius) even his father started to bug him to find another girl as "revenge".

None of them knew what happened, but judging his mood they thought Elsa dumped him and was the evil one.

Some time before the fifth year would start Draco received his letter, along with a prefect badge. His mother was so proud of him and his father told him he had been a prefect too back then.

He met up at Diagon Alley with Blaise and Pansy again and found out that the girl has also been appointed prefect. Draco had no idea how the old so-called Headmaster had thought it was a good idea to make Pansy a prefect. There were at least ten girls more suited for it than her.

The Slytherin slowly managed to hear Elsa's name again without throwing a fit, and even kept silent as Pansy started bad-mouthing her.

A day before they would leave for Hogwarts again, he even announced to his friends that he was over her. He vowed he would treat her like he would treat any mudblood, earning cheers from Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle. Only Blaise didn't quite believe his best friend's charade, but as long as he was happy, he'd let it slide.

Already on the next day on the train Draco' learned that going through with it was going to be harder than he had expected. He and Pansy had to go to a prefect meeting in an extra compartment for instructions by the Head Boy and Head Girl.

As expected, Granger was a prefect too and already sitting there with... Ron Weasley. Inwardly groaning because he lost his bet, the Slytherin sat down next to Pansy while they waited for the rest of the prefects.

His mood lit up when Pansy encouraged him to make fun of the Weasel when the Head Pair wasn't paying attention, but the words got stuck in his throat when Elsa entered the compartment with Anthony Goldstein.

Of course. Why wouldn't she be a prefect? He should've expected it.

It had been quite easy to get over her when he didn't have to see her, so he had avoided thinking about her altogether. She looked like a pure angel when she sat down next to the door with Anthony.

His will to treat her like any other muggleborn was tested, and he was glad the Head Pair started the meeting before Pansy could remind him of his promise.

During the meeting he tried to completely ignore the blonde. Sometimes he would steal a quick glance at her and forced himself not to worry about her slightly stressed out appearance. Why was it so hard to get her out of his mind?!

When the meeting was over Pansy, of course, started taunting the other "unworthy" prefects and expected Draco would join her, but her classmate preferred leaving.

He had to recover from this stressful meeting first... at least that's what he told himself.

Pansy caught up with him, giving him a pointed look as they entered the compartment of their friends.

"What's up?" Blaise asked casually, having noticed his friend's expression.

"Nothing. Meeting was boring, as expected." Pansy shot him another look, making the blond roll his eyes.

"You won our bet. The Weasel is prefect. Must suck for Potter." It had the desired effect; Blaise grinned wickedly, already thinking about everything he'd made Draco do. The young Malfoy leaned back in his seat, preparing for a long train ride, when-

"Elsa is a prefect too. And Draco practically ran away when I started to make fun of her and the other losers."

Silver eyes narrowed in annoyance. Trust Pansy to go and ruin this relaxing train ride for him. Crabbe and Goyle seemed worried their leader would go back to being a "good guy", while Blaise raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? What about your vow to treat her like any other mudblood?"

If Draco hadn't been himself, he would've sunk in his seat with all the awaiting and judging looks in his directions. But he was Draco bloody Malfoy, and he won't break under his friends' gazes.

"Ah whatever. Let's go find those losers and show them their place." He stated, getting up. Why was he friends with them again?

It wasn't hard finding them. The Golden Trio, Weaselette, Loony Lovegood, that idiot Neville Longbottom and of course Elsa.

Draco avoided mocking her and concentrated on laughing at Potter because the Weasel had been chosen over him. The only other comment he made was that there was "only scum as prefects this year".

That indirectly insulted Elsa too, which he hoped would satisfy his friends for the time-being. He needed to get used to seeing her every day again before he could start insulting her worse.

**xxx**

To say Elsa was exhausted when she arrived at home was an understatement. Not only physically, but also emotionally.

The train ride had been one thing, but the additional two-day travel by ship was also very draining.

Being alone was giving her too much time to think over everything. A student had been killed by Voldemort. He was back. How would that affect their lives? Were muggles in danger too?

It was also enough time to dread seeing her foster parents again.

If it wasn't for Anna, she probably would've spent the summer in the Leaky Cauldron. She had no idea if she could keep her politeness up.

During dinner that evening, Anna kept asking about Hogwarts, being as excited as a little kid despite having turned thirteen the previous month.

Elsa couldn't believe she had grown so much. Kristoff was practically living in the castle now too, having been taken in by Gerda and Kai, their most loyal servants.

He had also grown, and was sticking to Anna's side like glue.

Before taking up the topic of Hogwarts, that would inevitably lead to an argument with the king and queen, Elsa asked about them. Almost two years had passed, after all.

She was surprised that Kristoff had taken Anna to see the trolls, and even more surprised that her parents had allowed it.

The trolls lived outside of the shield, away from magical protection. How can they be so overly protective and so careless at the same time?

There had been a few balls, business meetings and so on, which got Elsa in a worse mood.

So it apparently had been completely her fault that they had locked everyone in and out. Because now that they needn't worry about her anymore, they lived a good life.

“Well, I was busy at school.” Elsa started. “A criminal that turned out to be innocent in the end had escaped, so Hogwarts had been swarmed by happiness-sucking creatures two years ago.”

“Woah, really?! Were they dangerous?!” Anna asked, eyes wide.

“Kind of? But I was able to defend myself just fine.” She bit her lip, staring down at her plate. How much could she say without giving away too much?

“And the criminal?”

“He wasn't really a criminal, just falsely convicted.” Elsa shrugged. “I also saved a hippogriff from execution. I've read up much on magical law.”

“And apparently you had time to get your ears pierced.” Agnarr commented with a glance at her ears, which were visible with her neatly done hair.

“Yes. Don't you like my earrings?” Elsa said, careful to not sound disrespectful.

“A powerful queen doesn't need to-”

“They're really nice, honey.” Iduna intervened with a smile, giving her husband a warning look.

Elsa appreciated that her foster mother tried to keep the peace up. Even though she was pretty sure it would end soon.

“Anyways... the past year Hogwarts hosted the famous Triwizard Tournament. It consists of three dangerous tasks, and the winner gets lots of money.”

Ignoring Anna's eyes lighting up, Elsa kept a close eye on the royal pair's reactions.

“It's _really_ dangerous, that's why only those of age are allowed to participate. In the magic world that means seventeen and above. Two other wizarding schools were our guests in Hogwarts.”

"There are other magic schools?" Kristoff asked, slipping Sven a carrot from the table with secrecy.

"Yes. One of them is in France, called Beauxbatons. And then there's Durmstrang. It's a school somewhere in  _ Bulgaria _ _ , for witches and wizards that live in the European  _ _ East _ _.. _ . " Elsa put emphasis on the words, keeping her whole attention on her foster parents. 

If the topic hadn't been that serious, their reactions would have been rather amusing.

The queen stopped eating and glanced briefly at her husband, before she looked at Elsa.

Agnarr actually dropped his fork, covering up his surprise by wiping his mouth with a napkin.

His hazel eyes found Elsa's, and reading her expression, his face hardened.

"Anna, why don't you show Kristoff the star-gazing room?" Anna wanted to object to being sent out of the room. Something big seemed to be going on, and she didn't want to be shut out of it.

“But he already saw-”

“This is not up for discussion, Anna.” Iduna said, the tone firm but vaguely soothing.

Anna pouted, but Kristoff was able to convince her to leave the room with Sven in tow.

For a few moments it was deathly quiet. Elsa kept her back straight and tried to keep a neutral expression on. No need to lose her cool just yet.

“So the trolls informed you.”

"Yes. Why didn't _you_ tell me?"

Agnarr sighed and shook his head. "My child, we wanted to tell you when-"

"I'm not your child." Elsa simply stated, not even caring she broke one of the simplest rules of courtesy by interrupting him.

"And don't you dare saying you wanted to tell me when I was _old enough_."

It was not hard to tell the king was not amused by the behavior. Yet Elsa couldn't get herself to care.

"Young lady, this is no way for a princess to talk to her parents. We took you in when you were a baby. You've been our child since then, and  _ nothing _ is going to change that. We wanted to tell you when you turn sixteen." 

Technically, Elsa thought, they were right. And she _did_ love them. Still, that didn't lessen the betrayal she felt.

"Well, I am glad I found out earlier! Because your little contract with the king is illegal. They exposed magic to muggles and forced you into a magical contract. Some of our rules apply to wizards too, you know?" Elsa stood up, unable to sit still anymore. She felt slightly better at seeing their flabbergasted faces.

"How were we supposed to know?" Iduna looked close to tears, obviously feeling guilty. And that made  _ Elsa _ feel guilty for yelling at them.

She knew they were right. How would they know? That's how they got into the mess in first place.

"You couldn't have known. But you should have told me earlier. I could have found a solution. I just told you." Feeling the surge of adrenaline wearing off, Elsa sat down again.

"Wait, so you don't have to marry Prince Asparuh? Arendelle is safe?"

Elsa sighed and shook her head. “Not really. He confronted me around Christmas time. When I said I wouldn't marry him because they broke the law of magic exposure, he used Anna to blackmail me.”

Iduna gasped in shock and Agnarr's eyes widened. "How do they know about Anna?!"

"I guess they have a spy. A muggle spy.” Elsa clarified. She figured, since Iduna was from the mysterious tribe, that she knew about the shield.

“Because of the shield that surrounds Arendelle. The trolls told me about it. It keeps any wizards and witches away that don't belong to the royal family.”

There was a tiny nod from the adults, a serious expression on both their faces.

“That's why I told him he won't be able to hurt her. But he... he implied they have their ways. They knew Anna by name. They will find a way to hurt her, so I don't have another choice but to marry him."

There were a few minutes of silence, until the king stood up and started pacing.

"We have to close the gates again. The servants have be sent away. We can't trust anyone. The boy and his reindeer have to leave too."

Nodding, Iduna got up to have everything prepared. However, she barely made two steps when she was stopped by Elsa slamming her hands on the mahogany table in rage, freezing the food on it in the process.

"No you won't! You won't imprison and isolate her again! Do you really think that's the best solution?! To keep her caged until she dies?!"

She glared at the royal couple, not caring at the ice spreading from her feet. Elsa was furious that they seriously considered doing this _again_.

"I won't let you destroy her happiness just because you messed things up and don't know how to fix them!"

"Elsa, calm down, this  _ is _ the only way to fix this! She needs overall protection to-"

"You  _ can't _ grant her overall protection!" The ice spread all over the floor and crawled up the walls. 

“What do you think she'll do when you send her friend away and lock her up?! She will run away first chance she gets!”

Agnarr and Iduna had to sit down as not to slip on the frozen over stone tiles.

The queen buried her face in her hands, clearly distressed. “Then what should we do?”

Elsa forced herself to calm down and thaw the ice covering the floor and food. With a voice that was surprisingly not trembling, she spoke up again, before her courage would leave her again.

“We need to find a solution that doesn't require locking her up. For now, the king and prince think they have the upper hand. There is no reason for them to hurt her yet. And I intend on keeping up the impression.”

“How are we to step up the guards if we can't trust anyone?” Agnarr rubbed his temples. “Everyone could be a spy.”

“Kristoff definitely isn't. He, Sven and Anna are inseparable, he can look after her.”

Iduna perked up. “He turned fifteen last month, old enough to learn how to use a sword. We could have Mathias train him and simultaneously have him keep a close eye on Anna.”

Mathias was the king's captain of the guard, one of the few guards Elsa and Anna liked very much. The younger princess wouldn't mind having him around more.

Agnarr rubbed his chin, mulling over the idea. “Alright, that works.” He looked at Elsa.

“Did you find something useful for the contract? He said we would die if we broke it.”

“I need the contract to work out the kinks.”

“We don't have a copy. They sent us away right after signing.”

Elsa bit back a sigh. “That makes it harder. But now that I know which country's law I need to look for, I think I can work it out. We just need a solution for the threat of war.”

“... I guess we could ask our partner kingdoms for assistance in case of an attack.”

“That would be a start. I vaguely know where the shield starts, so if we position our forces behind it, a magical attack won't harm them.”

Agnarr gave her a sideways smile. So rare that Elsa thought she might be hallucinating.

“You've grown a lot. To think I was worried you'd become an immature teenager... But I'm proud of you.”

Elsa didn't know how to react. She had thought this would end disastrously, instead it was quite the difference.

During the first weeks, Harry had written her a few letters, though he seemed to look for information she couldn't give him.

She hasn't ordered the Daily Prophet, and had no other way to find out what was going on in the Wizard World after the return of Voldemort, but since there weren't any bad muggle news it couldn't be that horrible.

Harry was quite mad, because Hermione and Ron knew something, but wouldn't tell him. Elsa's words of consolation didn't really help.

He had been attacked by dementors one night, and was supposed to get a hearing on 12 August, but then the letters stopped.

Elsa worried something had happened to him and for a moment considered trying to find him.

But that was stupid, of course. She'd need two days to get to London, and had no idea how to find Harry then.

On 10 August, Elsa was playing a game of charades with Anna and Kristoff, when Marshmallow gave a short mewl and jumped the window sill.

She pawed at the evening sky, purring.

Frowning at her cat's strange behavior, Elsa came to stand by the window.

With the Northern Lights, it took her a moment to see what had the feline act out of sorts.

In the distance there were different colored lights where there _shouldn't_ be lights. Close to the forest.

Squinting, she made out two figures standing there, concealed by the darkness.

Elsa excused herself to investigate, making a detour to grab her wand. She wasn't allowed to use magic outside of Hogwarts, but if she was attacked she would definitely defend herself.

It was the same in Harry's case, she had immediately known, and with _that_ excuse his hearing should work out well.

She took one of the horses to get to the shield's edge faster. Stopping the horse when she recognized Lupin, she climbed off.

“Elsa, nice to see you again.” He greeted her with a smile. The person next to him was a younger woman, hair a vivid pink color.

“Professor... uhm, I mean, Mister Lupin. What... what are you doing here? Did something happen to Harry?”

“Harry is safe, don't worry. Do you know what this- uhm.” He gestured to thin air in front of him, pressing against the invisible shield.

“Oh. Yes. This is a special kind of nature magic.” Elsa had to bite her tongue as to not reveal too much. “It's been here since before my birth. No idea how or why.”

“Fascinating.” The woman said, letting herself fall onto the shield, appearing to be floating in a weird angle. She giggled. “And you are a real princess? This is your castle?”

“My parents', yes...” Elsa tilted her head.

“I'm Tonks. We're here to pick you up. Would've come to your doorstep, but well.”

“Down, goddamnit...”

Elsa jumped at the familiar voice ringing out from by the trees, but a moment later her face lit up with a grin. Buckbeak had broken free from the person holding his collar and was coming at her.

“Buckbeak!”

The hippogriff effortlessly walked through the shield and nudged his beak to Elsa. Hugging his feathery neck, she laughed.

Buckbeak cawed happily, horse tail swinging wildly.

The royal horse had shied away from it, staying at a distance.

“At least we know for sure it's really her.” Lupin smiled, eyeing what Elsa assumed was the real Mad-Eye Moody.

She hasn't gotten to know him, only the impostor, so she opted to stay cautious. With not even Dumbledore getting behind it, it had been his true behavior anyways.

“This place is full of weird magic.” Moody said gruffly, magical eye twisting in its socket. “Doesn't hold off beasts, it seems.”

Elsa patted Buckbeak's neck and focused on Lupin.

“You came to pick me up? What for?” She changed the topic.

“Harry has been rather worried about your safety. And Dumbledore thought it wouldn't hurt to get you to the hideout too.”

Elsa rolled her shoulders uneasily. “I am safe here, as you can see. No foreign wizard can come inside.”

“Indeed. However, Dumbledore thought you could help with Harry's hearing, too. He kept insisting we'd get you.”

“How would I be able to help? And isn't it a clean minor case anyways?”

“Look, if Dumbledore wants you there, you don't question it, _princess_.”

Moody said her title as if it tasted horrible. Elsa narrowed her eyes at him.

“I _do_ question why a group of wizards shows up in the middle of the night to whisk me away to some unknown place. With the only explanation being _'Because Dumbledore says so'_.” She crossed her arms.

It was hard to tell in the darkness, but she thought she saw Moody's scarred mouth twitch.

“Always on guard, huh?”

“In times like these? Yes.”

“I like her.” Tonks declared, grinning.

Lupin gave a tired smile. “You want a proof that it's really us, or...?”

“No, I trust Buckbeak's judgment.” Elsa said. “I just don't understand why I need to be present for Harry's hearing. Or why I need an escort there.”

“Would it help if I told you that it's only safety precautions? The Weasleys and Hermione are at the safe house too. And Dumbledore would have his reasons for wanting you at the hearing.”

Elsa looked back at the castle. Things were going well with her foster parents now, Anna wouldn't be locked up and her safety was ensured. Doubly so with the shield.

She could come back for Christmas anyways. Besides, she wanted to know what was going on in the Voldemort case.

“Alright. I need a little time to pack and let my family know.”

“We'll wait here. Not like we have another choice.”

“Oh, and Dumbledore wants you to bring a traditional dress and crown.”

**xxx**

The hideout turned out to be a shabby looking house that was magically concealed between other houses.

Buckbeak had taken off after Elsa had gotten safely to the ground, apparently on his way to Hagrid.

There had been lots of discussing with her three Gryffindor friends that night. The dementors had attacked Harry and his cousin, probably having been sent by Voldemort.

The ministry wanted to keep it all under covers, Cedric's death wasn't even mentioned once in the Daily Prophet. They implied that Harry was mental.

It was a scandal, unbelievably mean, but there was not much to be done aside from informing as many people as possible.

Apparently the so-called Order of the Phoenix was having its headquarters there, a group of wizards and witches that were fighting against Voldemort.

Mrs Weasley told Elsa to dress up “as royally as possible” for Harry's hearing, a direct request from Dumbledore.

Elsa was quite confused, why didn't he talk to her personally? And why did he avoid Harry, too?

Never the less, she had agreed to accompany her friend to the hearing, so on 12 August she styled her hair like her foster mother wore hers and put the crown on to finish off the look.

The dress she had packed for the occasion was one of her least favorites, but it looked the most traditional, with dark turquoise and black as color scheme and a deep maroon cloak to wear over it.

She wasn't sure what exactly Dumbledore's plan was, but if it was to impress, it had the desired effect.

Mr and Mrs Weasley and Sirius were giving her wide-eyed stares when she entered the kitchen that morning.

Elsa tried to keep her face straight, to not look as unhappy as she felt wearing this.

“This... uh. Wow.” Sirius shook his head and gave a whistle. “You look like you just stepped out of a medieval painting.”

The princess shrugged, accepting a cup of tea from Arthur, who boldly felt the heavy fabric of the cloak she had draped over her shoulders.

“And that's what your people wear every day?”

“This is for meetings and serious businesses. For balls we have more festive ones, and the casual wear is of a little lighter fabric.” She explained, adjusting the crown, which felt weird on her head.

“Fascinating.” Arthur tried to poke the crown, but a well-placed slap on it from Molly stopped him.

“Arthur, leave her be. You look wonderful, sweetie. Here, have some toast.”

When Harry arrived a short while after, he looked like he was about to throw up. Right on the table.

Of course, it was his future at stake.

Elsa didn't quite grasp why he was allowed to wear clean casual clothes, jeans and shirt, and she had to doll up.

Mr Weasley took them out then, they'd travel to the Ministry of Magic by bus. That was new for Elsa too, and to avoid strange looks she took off the crown for the ride.

Her dress was getting enough attention as it was.

“Do you know why I have to wear this?” She asked Arthur when they got off the bus, careful to lift the dress enough so she wouldn't trip on the hem.

“Ah, not really. Harry has to go inside alone, too, so I'm not even sure why you're here.”

After a rather unpleasant travel underground in a phone booth, they stepped into the ministry's entrance hall.

Harry and Elsa had to have their wands examined and weighed, safety measures, before they followed Arthur to his tiny office.

“What am I doing here if I'm not even allowed inside with you?” Elsa whispered to Harry, fiddling with the crown in her hands.

“Moral support?”

A note arrived by paper plane, stating the time and place of Harry's hearing had changed. It was an hour earlier, meaning _now_ , meaning they were late already.

“Very curious indeed.” Mr Weasley mumbled when they were alone in a lift that moved sideways. “A simple case of underage use of magic, down there?”

That didn't sound assuring at all. Harry didn't comment, but gulped heavily.

Elsa would've wanted to follow her friend inside, but she and Arthur had to wait.

However, only a minute after, Dumbledore showed up. His eyes twinkled at seeing Elsa.

“Professor, they just rescheduled his hearing...”

“I know, just what I expected from our dear minister. Do me a favor, put on your crown and play along, will you? And not a word about Voldemort.”

Arthur had winced at the use of Voldemort's name, but didn't say anything.

Elsa complied, quickly fixing the crown on her head and hurried to follow Dumbledore into the dark trial room. He had just burst inside without knocking, simply announcing his presence as witness for the defense.

The princess was surprised to see so many people there, all because of a simple case? Or was it because it was _Harry_?

Her friend's face lit up in relief at seeing Dumbledore.

Minister Fudge's angry expression turned to one of surprise when his eyes fell on Elsa.

Unsure of how to react, he stood shortly, giving a curt uncertain bow, and sat down again.

“D-Dumbledore, this is a closed hearing. She will have to-”

“Ah, Minister Fudge, Crown Princess Elsa of Arendelle has squeezed this hearing into her very full schedule to make sure her good friend would be heard competently. I'm sure you'll understand she thought of this as necessary after what happened with the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures.”

Catching on, Elsa put on her best neutrally disapproving face, fixing a stare on the minister.

She didn't quite like how the woman right next to him, she assumed it was Fudge's secretary, looked at her. Way too calculating.

The minister's face was coloring scarlet from a repressed outburst. It was obvious he was strictly against it, but didn't want to lose his composure.

“This is completely different, and it's not usual for a case like this to-”

“It is also not usual to hold a full criminal trial over a matter of underage magic, if I'm not mistaken.”

Realizing he wouldn't get anywhere with Dumbledore, Fudge directed his next words at Elsa.

“Your Highness, I can assure you that Harry Potter has a fair trial. There's no need for you to sit through it with such a tightly-knit schedule as yours.”

“I was at a meeting with a trading partner close by and had to prolong my stay. I certainly won't have to tell you how disrespectful it would be to send me away after the inconvenience this caused.”

From her peripheral vision, she saw Harry rub at his face and cough, covering up a snicker.

She kept her face straight, however.

“Of course, of course. No, we won't send you away after the trouble you've had to experience.” Fudge wiped at his face with a tiny defeated sigh.

“I'm glad we have this settled.” Dumbledore announced with a victorious smile. He conjured up two chairs so the two of them could sit next to Harry.

Elsa's part was done then. Her presence alone was making it difficult for Fudge to concentrate, in fear of making the ministry look bad in a royal's eyes.

With the connections royals tended to have all over the world, Elsa could destroy his reputation, he thought.

The princess had to admit, that was a genius move on Dumbledore's part.

With interest she followed the hearing. Fortunately a squib had witnessed the incident, there wasn't much to hold against him then.

Dumbledore easily talked Fudge down and had most of the Wizengamot on his side, by the looks of it.

Begrudgingly, Harry was cleared of all charges. As soon as the hearing was over, Dumbledore vanished, leaving the two teens to wonder what was going on with him.

Not wanting to wait for Fudge to confront her, Elsa urged Harry to hurry out of there too.

Harry's been in a fairly good mood since then, at least until the last days of August.

While pretty late, their Hogwarts letters finally arrived.

Ginny handed Elsa and Hermione theirs before sitting on her bed to read her own.

Elsa put hers on the side for now to finish reading the chapter she was on.

Hermione's sudden screech had her drop the book, though.

Eyes wide, Ginny and Elsa watched Hermione with concern. Her bushy hair bounced as she jumped up and down, clutching something to her chest.

“I've been made prefect! Oh this is fantastic!”

Elsa had completely forgotten that the prefects would be chosen in the fifth year. Penelope had been theirs, and head girl in their third year. She hadn't even paid attention who had been chosen the previous year, as there had been more pressing matters.

“Wow, congratulations.” Elsa laughed at Hermione's enthusiasm.

“Oh Merlin, I gotta have to show the boys. And I gotta write to my parents!”

She stormed out the door, leaving Ginny and Elsa to burst out in laughter.

“My, who would've thought she'd react like _that_?”

“It _is_ an honor.” Elsa shook her head with a grin. “And I remember Penelope saying the bathroom alone was worth it.”

“I would kill for a special bathroom.” Ginny rolled her eyes with humor. “Open yours, Dumbledore probably has made you a prefect too. He'd be deranged if he didn't.”

After picking up her book from the floor, Elsa broke the seal of the letter, and indeed a blue and bronze colored badge landed in her lap.

“HA, I knew it!” Ginny chuckled. “Let's tell the boys, Fred and I have a bet going on.”

* * *


	22. Chapter 22

* * *

Opposed to apparently everyone's belief, Dumbledore chose Ron over Harry for Gryffindor's prefect.

Elsa almost felt bad for her friend, he _did_ seem very disappointed. On the other hand, after everything he's been through the past year, one would think he'd be glad to not have any school related responsibilities.

Mrs Weasley was beyond herself with pride for her son, and showed it by arranging a little party in their safe house.

It was interesting to converse with the guests, all of them were members of the Order, and especially those who worked in the Ministry had many interesting facts.

Nevertheless, Elsa was happy to finally get ready for bed. She jumped when Fred and George apparated right into her room with a loud _crack_.

“Seriously, do you _have_ to-”

“Glowing, indeed.” Fred said as he observed her, hand on his chin.

“Beware, our princess is gonna whoop our asses.”

Elsa heaved a weary sigh as she sat down on the bed. “What is it now?”

The twins pulled out one of their new inventions, the extendable ears.

“We tested if Moody could detect these with his magical eye. And he can't. Awesome, by the way.” George grinned.

“He was talking to Sirius and Lupin, none the wiser.”

The blonde tilted her head. Sirius surely wouldn't just spill that she wasn't really a princess, would he? “And they talked about me?”

“Well, Moody said you can't be a muggleborn. You are glowing with magic, he said. He's thought it was because of your weird shield thing at home, but it still clings to you. Whatever that means.”

“'She's too powerful for a fifteen-year-old!'” Fred mimicked Moody's rough voice.

Elsa forced herself to stay calm. So that's what the false Moody has been seeing the previous year? She's glowing with magic?

“Hm. Weird.”

“Totally. With his conspiracy theories and everything. Sirius told him he's going wonkers and should concentrate on You-know-who.”

A weight left her chest. She didn't need nosy aurors digging around in her past.

“I'll be glad when we're at Hogwarts tomorrow.” She shrugged, acting as if it didn't bother her at all.

At least in Hogwarts she didn't have to worry about Moody.

**xxx**

In the train, Elsa didn't feel quite as guilty for leaving Harry alone in a compartment, since Luna, Ginny and Neville were keeping him company. It would be a tight fit later, but that was fine.

As prefects, Hermione, Ron and her had to attend a meeting in a special compartment, where they would receive orders from the new headboy and girl.

On their way there, they ran into Anthony, who apparently had been appointed prefect too.

In the special carriage, they found out that Pansy and Draco were Slytherin's prefects. Draco she could even understand, but Pansy? Horrible choice. At least in Elsa's eyes.

The princess tried to pay attention, but couldn't help but glance at Draco every now and then.

He didn't seem to be in a bad shape. Ever since Harry had told them Lucius Malfoy had been at the graveyard with Voldemort, she had been rather worried about him.

However, the Slytherin was appearing to be fine.

Their duties would be to patrol on the train every now and then, direct the new students and mainly take care of them. There was a shift plan on patrolling in the evenings, that they would receive the next morning with their timetables.

Generally they were there to support the professors in keeping the chaos at bay.

As soon as the meeting was over, Pansy had started to taunt them, but they just ignored her and went back to the compartment with their friends.

Elsa sat down next to Luna, who immediately showed her an article in The Quibbler.

“Erklings?” Elsa asked, eyebrow raised.

“I'm a little surprised you believe in them... they're real, after all.”

Both Ravenclaws glared at Hermione's insensitive comment. She at least had the decency to blush.

“Anyways. My father thinks they could be tied to the elemental of earth.”

“Really? But they don't live here... they've only been seen in the Black Forest in Germany.” Elsa shrugged one shoulder.

“Professor Grubbly-Plank said there could be some in the Forbidden Forest.”

“Elemental... what?” Harry asked, appearing glad for the distraction. He had seemed rather down when they had arrived.

Ron waved off, taking one of the pumpkin pies Harry had bought. “A stupid tale wizards tell to little kids.”

“Completely rubbish, if you ask me.” Hermione commented, not even looking up from her Daily Prophet.

“Excuse you, it's _not_ rubbish. The Spirits do exist.”

“There is no proof of their existence. That's a fact.”

Elsa wisely kept out of it, trusting Luna wouldn't spill her secret, even though she looked strongly perturbed.

“Can you tell me about it?” Harry asked Luna to stave off an argument.

The girl was happy to comply, eagerly stating off what she and her father already knew, along with lots of could-be proof.

“But there hasn't been a global snow storm... there would've been news on it, right?”

“Dad said the ministry had to obliviate muggles all over the world, all the countries had worked together.” Ginny explained. “Since there was no believable muggle explanation for it.”

“Then why didn't we learn about that in History of Magic? That's way more interesting than goblin wars.”

Hermione rolled her eyes again. “It's on this year's schedule. I read ahead. They just mention the possibility of Spirits, but-”

“Professor Binns said Winter had been on earth.” Elsa said. “Because I stumbled over it in our second year and asked him. And we all know he only believes in facts.” Elsa said in Luna's favor.

She was literally the living proof, but with how strained their friendship was she'd rather not share it with them.

“There are rumors that the snow storm has occurred because some wizards were experimenting with ice charms.” Hermione shot back.

“Also just rumors. There's no proof of either theory.”

They were interrupted by Draco and his Slytherin friends.

The snakes let out a few stupid taunts, that Elsa chose to ignore completely. She didn't need to be reminded that Draco and her weren't really friends anymore.

When they finally arrived at Hogsmeade station, they were surprised that Hagrid wasn't there to greet the first-years as usual.

Instead, Professor Grubbly-Plank gathered the new students up and led them off to the boats.

On their way to the carriages, Harry stopped abruptly. Elsa almost ran into him.

“What is it?”

“The... what are these things?”

Elsa blinked, trying to make out what Harry was referring to. “You mean the carriages?”

“No, the horse-thingies... they pull them...”

“The carriages go magically... like always.” Elsa clarified. “There's nothing pulling them.”

“Harry's right.” Luna said in her usual airy voice. “I see them too. They've been here from the beginning.”

Elsa wondered why she had never mentioned it before, but she could guess that it was one of the things others would call her crazy for.

Because to her, there was only air.

The Great Hall was already pretty full when they arrived at the castle.

Elsa placed herself up front, close to the teachers' table, so she could keep an eye on the first years immediately. Anthony had the same idea, sitting down across from her.

“I heard you and Malfoy aren't so tight anymore?”

“Where did you hear that?”

Anthony shrugged. “General rumors. You know how it is. So, is it true?”

“I guess it is.” Elsa averted her gaze, not in the mood for such a conversation.

She rather watched the professors, wondering where Hagrid was. His absence wasn't the only oddity at the head table.

Elsa's eyes widened a fraction when she spotted Fudge's secretary among the professors.

What was she doing here? Since there were no empty chairs aside from McGonagall's – Grubbly-Plank had just sat down – Elsa connected the dots.

“No way.”

“What is it?” Luna asked, adjusting her cork necklace.

“That woman in pink. She's Minister Fudge's secretary. I think she's here to take over DADA...”

Anthony watched her too, eyebrows rising. “I guess it's because of Dumbledore and Potter.”

“Why?”

“Well, the Ministry thinks the two of them have gone nuts. I bet they want to make sure he doesn't corrupt Hogwarts or something.”

Elsa felt rage building in her chest. Her dislike of the minister was growing. Sending in a spy, how dare he?

After the Sorting, Dumbledore tried to give his start-of-term speech, but was interrupted by the secretary.

She was introduced as Dolores Umbridge, indeed the new DADA professor.

She had prepared her own dry speech, droning on and on. There was lots of whispering among the students, they were disinterested and getting restless by the annoying voice.

However, Elsa paid rapt attention, face darkening at the words. She caught Hermione's gaze, her friend had understood the underlying message too.

The Ministry was trying to meddle with Hogwarts.

**xxx**

The next day at breakfast, Elsa fondly watched the few first-years that had been sorted into Ravenclaw. Again the blue and the green house had gotten the least new students, but those they had were promising.

“So, have you prepared for your OWLs yet?” Becky asked with a yawn.

“OWLs? Oh, they're this year, right.” Elsa shrugged. “No, not yet.”

OWL was short for Ordinary Wizarding Level. It was a test every fifth year had to take.

Depending on what career they want to pursue, they had to reach a certain mark in the relevant classes, so they would be able to attend the so called NEWT classes in the sixth and seventh year.

Elsa hadn't bothered to look too much into it. Even if she found a solution for the Bulgarian problem, she wouldn't have a future in magical jobs anyways.

She _had_ signed a contract after all. And being a future queen was going to be a full-time job anyways.

“You should think about what you want to do later. Flitwick will give career advice too later in the year.” Cho explained.

“I plan on becoming a Mediwitch at St. Mungo's. I just hope Snape won't be too harsh in Potions.”

“I'm so glad I don't need Potions for being a psychologist witch.” Becky said, playing with the toast on her plate. “Did you know there's only a handful of psychologists? Not nearly enough for all the mentally sick out there.”

Elsa was quite surprised that Becky of all people wanted to become a shrink. She probably had more patience than Elsa knew her to possess.

Flitwick had just finished out the timetables for the first years and was now reaching Elsa.

“Good morning, professor.”

“And you too, Elsa. Congratulations on becoming a prefect, I must say it wasn't a surprise.” Flitwick laughed, handing her the timetable and the prefect plan for evening patrol.

“Thanks.”

“Here, we always have a shift of fifth and sixth year prefects patrolling. You and Anthony will have Thursdays with the Hufflepuff sixth year prefects. Just take a walk through the halls from eight to ten pm.”

He adjusted his glasses.

“We know you're gonna be busy with homework, so we moved the shifts to match up with Astronomy night at least.”

Elsa eyed the space on her timetable, forcing down a sigh when she saw they shared Astronomy with Slytherin this year. At least that was the only class they shared with them alone.

“That's fine, thank you.”

The first classes passed in a flash, with loads of homework in every class and the teachers each telling them about the importance of the OWLs.

While Elsa knew she didn't need them, she surely didn't want to fail a class.

DADA turned out to be as horrible as Harry had expected.

Umbridge just told them to read and be quiet, didn't intend on them learning to use any of the spells that would help them defend themselves.

Elsa bit her lip hard to stay quiet while most of the Gryffindors were voicing their opinions. Who knew what Umbridge would tell Fudge when there were dozens of rebellious students?

Harry had dared to say Voldemort was back, making the new professor angry enough to give him a week's detention and sent him to McGonagall with an angrily written note.

It was ridiculous, but none of the others dared to speak up when Harry left the classroom.

Things only got worse from there. Harry's mood was constantly down.

Elsa had all hands full with homework and prefect duties, there was nothing she could do against Umbridge anyways.

And another message of doom rattled her on the second week during breakfast in the Great Hall.

Hermione was awaiting her Daily Prophet, the boys begging Elsa to let them copy her Astronomy homework, when the post arrived.

“What the...?”

A dozen large barn owls, all of them a sleek black color, were each carrying big packages. They let them fall in front of Elsa, squashing half of the food on the table.

Harry barely managed to grab his cup of tea before it was hit by another package.

One fancy looking letter fell at last on top of the packages, a dark purple wax seal on it.

Hermione was first to grab the envelope. “Eastern Seas? What the heck?”

Elsa felt her mouth go dry in an instant. She must've blanched completely, judging the concerned looks her friends were giving her.

“Uhm.” She cleared her throat unsuccessfully. “T-The letter...”

Her fingers shook violently as she took the letter from a frowning Hermione.

She was unable to open it, just stared wide-eyed at the seal. Kingdom of the Eastern Seas... Asparuh.

“Feels like clothing.” Ron commented, touching one of the wrapped deliveries.

“This is definitely a box.” Harry shook it slightly, hearing a slight rattling.

With her friends busy guessing, Elsa gathered her courage to open the letter.

_My dear princess,_

_now that we met at last, I believe it's time to follow the proper etiquette. I hope you will enjoy my engagement gifts. I will be sending more soon._

_Yours faithfully, Prince Asparuh of the Eastern Seas_

Elsa crumpled up the parchment before Hermione could take a peek and stuffed it in her cloak pocket.

“Can you help me get all this to my common room?”

“All the way up there? Why don't we ask Dobby to-” Ron was interrupted by Hermione kicking his shin under the table. “Ow!”

“I can't believe you'd just take advantage of the house elves when I'm trying to free them.”

“They don't _want_ to be freed.”

Elsa tuned out the two bickering Gryffindors and glared at the presents. This was going too far.

Wasn't it enough that they resorted to blackmail for the forced engagement? No, apparently not. They had to mock her too.

Ignoring the looks she received, Elsa got up and marched up to the teachers' table.

“Ah, Elsa, I was just going to come ask about this unusual amount of post.” Flitwick greeted her, standing on his chair.

Professor Vector was sitting next to him, eyeing the small mountain of gifts with a raised brow.

“Professor, I wanted to ask if there's a way to block certain owls. Or well, certain senders?”

Flitwick scratched his head. “The owls aren't being filtered-”

“Yet.” Vector added with a sideways glance to the opposite side of the table, where Umbridge was cleaning her mouth.

“-so there's no way to check which letters or such comes through. Why, is something wrong with the presents?”

Elsa tried hard to keep her temper in check. “Those are unwanted gifts. They're a bother I'm not going to put up with.”

“Ah, an undesirable admirer.” Vector concluded.

“Yes, you could say that. A persistent prince.”

Flitwick adjusted his glasses. “I suppose we could get rid of them, if you're sure you don't want them.”

“I am.”

“Isn't there a royal equivalent to 'I don't want you'?” Vector asked, sipping from her cup.

Elsa shrugged, slowly calming down. She should let the mockery roll off her back. It were just presents, after all.

“A very traditional way would be to just send them back, opened.” She explained.

“Well then, I'd suggest that.”

There was still the possible danger of him being insulted enough to lose his temper, but with the added protection on Anna it would be fine.

“I think that will do, thank you.”

**xxx**

If it hadn't been her plan to send all the presents back, she would've just given everything to Hermione, Ginny and Luna.

Since Harry was in detention after dinner and Ron was missing, the girls volunteered to help opening everything and repack it so she could send it back to Asparuh.

There was a fine dress, a cashmere shawl, an expensive soft fur cloak, loads of jewelry, and so on.

“Oh my... are you sure you don't want to keep at least this?” Ginny groaned as she sniffed on a bottle of perfume. “The scent is fantastic!”

“Note down the name of it, I'll buy you a bottle for christmas.” Elsa promised distractedly. “We need to send _everything_ back.”

“And they really are from a prince?”

Elsa figured she could stay vague, there was no need to tell about a forced engagement contract.

“Yes. From a faraway kingdom, that's pretty old-fashioned. Even more than ours.”

“So this is the traditional way of courting princesses?” Luna asked, wrapping the shawl around her shoulders.

“Uhm. Kind of.”

“There's even a book about knitting charms!” Hermione gasped. “Oh come on, let me keep that one!”

The meaning behind such a book wasn't lost on Elsa, making anger flare up again. Sighing, she took the satin dress to pack it up.

“No. But I guess it won't hurt to send that one a few days later, you can copy a few pages if you want.”

Satisfied with that, Hermione put it inside her bag and the girls continued with the tedious work.

At the end of September, Umbridge was appointed High Inquisitor of Hogwarts, meaning she could meddle all she liked. With Fudge's support, she announced new Educational Decrees however often she liked.

She began sitting in classes to observe the teachers, probably to search for any unfitting ones.

Elsa had been quite protective of Flitwick, noting her poorly concealed disgust at the part-goblin. She made sure to praise him greatly when Umbridge had asked her and her fellow Ravenclaws of his teaching quality.

It had been a blast watching her try to find something to nag about in Vector's class. The Arithmancy teacher simply ignored her, giving her a typical raised eyebrow whenever she cleared her throat.

Since there was nothing wrong with her way of teaching, Umbridge didn't speak up.

Professor Babbling, their Ancient Runes teacher, was rather unnerved by the presence of Umbridge.

Hermione and Elsa tried to help her out whenever she nervously got off track, their hands constantly in the air to show Umbridge she wasn't a bad teacher.

There was a constant glare on both their faces whenever Umbridge spoke up to interrupt.

“Are you coming to Hogsmeade with us?” Ron asked one day after breakfast.

He and Elsa were standing outside of the Great Hall, waiting for Harry and Hermione to finish so they could get down to Potions together.

Ron had confessed to Hermione and Elsa that his frequent absence had been because he's been training, because he wanted to try out for the Quidditch team as a keeper.

“I don't know... I wanted to work ahead for Ancient Runes.”

“As if that was necessary. By the way, can I copy some of your Transfiguration essay? I still need a few inches...”

Elsa sighed. “Copying my stuff won't get you through your OWLs.”

“I swear I've written most of it. Just a few sentences?”

She wordlessly handed him her essay. “Is there something special going on in Hogsmeade? I heard Cho and Becky whisper about it in the common room, along with Padma and her girls. And Anthony asked me if I knew what you guys were up to.”

“Well... Hermione had an idea. Since we won't learn to properly defend ourselves against You-know-who, we thought Harry could be our teacher. You know, form a little group and have him teach us some spells.”

Elsa blinked. “Umbridge won't like that...”

“That's why we have to do it in secret. And hey, you can also show us one thing or the other. After all, you're able to cast a corporal patronus too.”

“Oh no, I won't. I intend on keeping a low profile this year.”

“Then just join, how would it look if one of his best friends doesn't support Harry with this?”

Elsa rolled her eyes. “I'm telling to whoever asks that I'm completely on his side.”

“Just think about it, okay?”

“Fine.”

Already on the next day, a new Educational Decree has been announced. All existing clubs were disbanded, all groups of three or more weren't allowed anymore. Even Quidditch teams will need extra permission from Umbridge to continue.

It was getting ridiculous. How did she know that there was a plan to form an army?

In Herbology, Harry and Elsa were working together on potting a plant.

“Do you think she knows?” The blonde asked distractedly, making sure Sprout wasn't in earshot.

“No. Even if she had a spy, they'd only know there was a plan to form a group, nothing concrete.”

Elsa nodded and they worked in silence for a while. Harry looked up to see if Sprout was close.

“Do you have an idea where we could practice spells? We're about 29 people, including you.”

The princess shook her head. “Not really? I mean, classrooms aren't safe, they'd find us immediately. The Forbidden Forest is also too dangerous...”

“That's the problem.” Harry sighed.

Elsa thought about it, trying to picture everything she knew and read about the castle.

An idea hit her, then. After having come across a replica of her old bedroom, she had looked it up.

The so-called Room of Requirement would show up in the special corridor on the seventh floor, taking whatever appearance one really needed.

A bathroom, for example, or a safe refuge, in Elsa's case.

“I think I have an idea.”

Indeed, the room had transformed into perfect training grounds for them. Elsa had joined them for the first meeting, to show her support, since some of the Ravenclaws were still a little doubtful of Harry.

She doubted she'd ever need the spells to defend herself. If she ever came face to face with Voldemort, she'd use her ice powers, no matter if she spilled her secret like that.

The Room of Requirement could also pose as a good hiding spot, she mused, for her to train her ice powers without anyone disturbing her. She figured she'd need to work on them if they still became stronger.

After a few meetings, all of the members of the now-called Dumbledore's Army, DA for short, were convinced Harry was right and enjoyed the workout with him.

While they practiced, Umbridge went crazy with new decrees. Music was banned from study classes, boys had to keep their hands out of their pockets, Weasley products were forbidden, boys and girls needed to be at least eight inches apart from each other, and so on.

To support her with controlling all of her decrees, Umbridge formed the Inquisitorial Squad. The group of students was consisting only of eager Slytherins, Draco and Blaise among them, for extra credit.

Elsa couldn't understand how they would support such a stupid idea.

The fear that Umbridge was already suspecting them to be up to something was confirmed when she began questioning random students, and despite disliking her, Snape seemed to be on board with the questioning.

During a Potions class, he announced they would work in pairs, which _he_ would put together.

It wasn't hard to recognize a pattern. He paired Pansy with Hermione, Goyle and Ron, Crabbe and Longbottom. Obviously he wanted them to spy on them.

“Malfoy and Potter...” Snape listed off, pretending it to be arbitrarily, “Zabini and Winters...”

Putting Draco and Harry together was bound to end in trouble. Elsa was glad she hasn't been paired with Pansy. Blaise was an okay guy.

“So, I don't want this to end in disaster, so you're gonna cut up the ingredients and leave the actual brewing to me.” Blaise commanded, rubbing his hands together.

“Fine with me.”

A few minutes passed in silence between them.

“I've been looking for you in the library, but you weren't there yesterday.”

“I was in our common room.” Elsa lied smoothly. “Did you need anything?”

“Oh, nothing special.” He shrugged. “You've become quite cozy with a few Hufflepuffs too I noticed, Macmillan and Bones.”

Elsa schooled her expression. “They're also prefects. We have to stick together, don't we?”

“Excluding the Slytherins, hm?”

Now it was Elsa's turn to shrug. “As far as we know the Slytherins fancy themselves in a higher position. We're below your standards, aren't we?”

Blaise looked at her, Elsa easily returning the gaze.

“I suppose you won't tell me if there was something fishy going on?”

“If there _was_ something going on, I surely wouldn't trust you with the information.”

A tiny smirk moved Blaise's mouth upwards. “It's a pity you and Draco had this output.”

Elsa faltered a little from cutting up bat spleens, but caught herself from accidentally chopping off her own finger.

“It's probably for the better.” With an unknown dark future ahead of her, at least.

“Sad truth.” Blaise hummed, stirring the blubbering liquid.

They fell into a comfortable silence, surrounded by numerous hissed arguments from their classmates.

Ron and Goyle accidentally pushed over their cauldron while getting in each other's faces, while Pansy brought the Potion to simply explode by wildly throwing in the wrong ingredients during her fight with Hermione.

Harry's and Draco's table was worryingly quiet, but that was because they just glared at each other and were hissing their insults.

**xxx**

When the first quidditch match of the season was up in November, Ron was a wreck of nerves.

Harry had told them that he wasn't as good as Oliver had been, that's why they've been practicing like crazy.

“Are you sure you want to wear this?” Elsa asked when she and Luna left their common room that morning.

She was wearing a gigantic lion's hat. Had Elsa known that Luna wanted to put it on in public, she wouldn't have helped enchanting it to roar.

“Of course, why else would I've made it?” Luna smiled in her dreamy way. “Gotta show our support for Gryffindor.”

Ever since DA started, she's become more outgoing, befriending others from Gryffindor aside from Neville and Ginny. Generally she appeared happier.

“I'm just a little worried it's gonna be distracting the players if it roars...”

“Not more than the cheering, I'm sure.”

Elsa rolled her eyes good-naturedly and tried not to wince at the numerous stares when they entered the Great Hall.

The two Ravenclaws sat by their Gryffindor friends, noting how sick Ron looked. Elsa opted to not comment on it.

“You have our full support.” Luna said, tipping her wand at the lion head to make it roar.

“You can't wear your scarf during the game anyways, do you? If you give it to Elsa she can show her support too!” She happily told Harry.

“I don't need to wear their colors for them to know I'm on their side.” Elsa said.

Nevertheless she took the offered red and gold scarf and hung it loosely over her shoulders. Ron looked like he could use all support available.

It was a quite icy November, too cold for most of the students, but for Elsa it was a comfortable temperature.

The Slytherins were all wearing weird silver buttons to mock Ron, which Elsa regarded disapprovingly. So much for unity.

During the game, it turned out that wasn't the only anti-Ron thing going on. Pansy was leading on a stand of Slytherins to sing a mean song, completely distracting Ron, causing him to mess up royally.

Hermione winced as Slytherin got another goal. “He's letting it influence him too much...” She muttered and eyed the professors' stand, where Umbridge was watching the game through binoculars.

“I would hex them, but with the toad keeping watch...”

It was definitely not worth the risk. Harry had told them that his detention with her had consisted of writing lines with his own blood, the message carved into the skin of his hand still not fully healed.

Elsa glared at Pansy, the rage building again.

“Be right back.” She said and quickly made her way down. The wood was pretty slippery already, surely no one would question if the Slytherins slipped on their stand.

A few students were watching the game from down there, eager ones that anticipated crashes.

It worked in Elsa's favor, as she came to a stop by Pansy's stand, innocently leaning against it and touching a wooden beam.

She let ice shoot up towards where they were standing, letting it spread thickly and smoothly.

There was another goal for Slytherin, and a second later the singing stopped in a few shrieks.

Elsa tried to keep a satisfied smirk off her face, hiding it beneath the scarf.

She kept the ice layer there until Harry had caught the snitch. Only then did she thaw it.

Harry landed to lots of cheering, Elsa could distantly hear a lion's roar.

However, feeling a gaze on her, she found Draco staring at her, still hovering on his broom.

His expression was undefinable, a mix between disbelief and hatred.

With a scowl, he landed by Harry and began insulting him, getting under the Gryffindor's skin by bad-mouthing his mother.

His teammates had trouble holding Harry back, nobody seemed to notice Ron landing off the pitch, pale-faced.

He simply turned around and walked off, not even in the direction of the castle.

Since the team appeared to have Harry under control, Elsa hurried to follow Ron.

He didn't even acknowledge her at first, staring ahead as if in shock.

“Hey, you won.” Elsa tried to cheer him up.

“No, Harry won... I fucked up so bad...”

“It wasn't _that_ bad.”

“Yes it was.”

“It was Pansy's fault, the singing was mean and distracting. Alicia lost the quaffle when she glared at them.”

Ron shrugged miserably. “I don't think I can put up with the stress. I should step back.”

“You shouldn't make such a decision rashly. Think about it, sleep a night. And most importantly, talk to your teammates. I'm sure they don't blame you at all.”

“Easy for you to say... you don't know Angelina when she's in the mood.”

“Elsa!” Ginny's voice carried over as she came closer in a run. “Flitwick told me to come get you. There's an incident...”

“An incident?”

“Harry and Draco just fought and the two are in the changing room with McGonagall, Snape and Umbridge at the moment.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“I have no idea, I was just sent to get you.”

Frowning, Elsa looked back at the pitch. What was going on?

“Here, take the scarf. You're freezing enough as it is.” She put the Gryffindor scarf over Ron's shaking body and made her way back with the two Weasleys.

Flitwick led her inside the changing room, where she was greeted by the accusing stare of Snape and Umbridge.

Harry and Draco weren't there anymore, but McGonagall was giving both Snape and Umbridge an icy glare.

“Elsa, would you please tell them that you did not use a charm on the Slytherin stand?” Flitwick said calmly, giving Snape a disapproving look.

Elsa blinked. “Of course I haven't.”

“Then you surely have an explanation why the majority of my students slipped just after you stood by their stand. The ruckus completely distracted my team!” Snape spat.

Raising an eyebrow, Elsa bit the inside of her cheek to not copy his tone. “The wood is slippery from the cold weather. Why would I have anything to do with that?”

“If there was any distraction, it was the horrible singing they did!” McGonagall threw in, neck colored pink with suppressed rage.

“Hem hem.” Umbridge cleared her throat in that terrible way. “As a matter of fact, there is misuse of magic on the line. I'm sure you're aware of the rule to not hex fellow students, Miss Winters?”

“I am.”

“Then you surely can explain why thirty Slytherin students just slipped, out of the blue, when they were supporting their team, with you conveniently standing right there?”

“More like insulting my team's keeper!” McGonagall hissed.

“Who is _conveniently_ a good friend of Miss Winters here.”

Flitwick gave a rare glare. “That doesn't mean you can accuse my student of purposefully harming others. Elsa is an exemplary student and takes her prefect duties very seriously.”

“Some might be fooled, but the ministry believes in proof. And so far it looks like your royal highness is in need of proving her innocence.”

“This is ridiculous, Dolores!” McGonagall looked ready to explode. “Where is the proof that grounds the accusation?”

“I saw her going to the Slytherin stand with my own eyes.” Umbridge smiled meanly.

Flitwick angrily adjusted his glasses. “Elsa, would you mind me performing the reverse spell to prove you didn't hex them?”

Elsa immediately pulled out her wand from her sleeve and held it out to Flitwick.

“Of course, go ahead. I've been helping Padma with the Color Change Charm last night.”

And indeed the last spell turned out to be _Colovaria_ , proving she didn't use a hex on the Slytherins.

“Now, I believe that is enough proof that my student is innocent.” Flitwick said in an unusually aggressive voice that had Elsa surprised.

“I suppose...” Umbridge's eyes narrowed. “Unless Miss Winters didn't use her wand.”

“Oh please, you're not accusing a well-behaving _fifteen-year-old_ of using wandless magic!” McGonagall exploded. “If you do, we can take this to Dumbledore immediately.”

When Umbridge's lips thinned, but she didn't say anything, Flitwick guided Elsa outside.

“Come on, don't worry, her ridiculous behavior won't impress Dumbledore.”

“I'm not worried, professor. I assume she simply doesn't like me because Minister Fudge respects my status.”

“That's pretty insightful. Argh, I can't believe she just accuses you! Utterly ridiculous!”

**xxx**

“She _banned_ you?!”

Harry miserably speared a potato and nodded. “Malfoy started it with his stupid insults, but since I threw the first punch she believes me to be a hazard.”

Elsa frowned deeply at the staff table. Her hate for the pink wearing toad strengthened.

“Flitwick had to use the reverse spell to prove I didn't hex Pansy and the other Slytherins to slip.”

“But you did, didn't you? Why else would they've slipped?” Hermione said, looking up from her book.

Elsa bit her tongue. She should've kept her mouth shut.

“I have my ways.” She stayed cryptic, eyeing the large table as if to say she couldn't say more in case they were spied on.

“What matters is, this woman is a horribly bigoted person.”

“All the more reason to keep the DA going.” Hermione said, openly glaring at Umbridge.

* * *


	23. Chapter 23

* * *

“Is that what you call keeping a low profile? You're lucky Umbridge didn't give you a lifelong ban, too.” Blaise shook his head when he and Draco were lounging in their common room.

“First you guys want me to get back to my normal self, and when I do, you still nag.”

“I don't recall you being the type to get into _fist_ fights. Especially not over a lost game.”

Draco ignored his best friend, glaring into the fire. He was absentmindedly playing with a green/blue and black bracelet on his wrist.

Blaise pursed his lips.

“It wouldn't have anything to do with Elsa wearing a Gryffindor scarf, would it?”

When the blond's lips pressed into a thin line, Blaise crossed his arms. “Bullseye.”

“Shut up.”

“Quit telling me to shut up when you know I'm right.” The dark skinned Slytherin made sure they had privacy, which wasn't hard this late in the evening.

“I never believed your bullshit talk anyways. 'I'm completely over her', my ass.”

Draco turned his glare to Blaise. “What am I supposed to do? I can't be close to her in any way, _He_ would punish my whole family.”

“And because _you_ can't have her nobody else should?”

The blond didn't reply, silver eyes on the fire again. “Not Potter, at least.” He mumbled.

“I'd love to see you react if she got together with Goldstein, or Weasley, or Longbottom, or anyone else that isn't you.”

Blaise sighed and rubbed at his tired eyes. “You know, my mom says it could be the Dark Lord probably won't become as powerful as back then again. And so far he's staying completely in the background.”

“What are you saying?”

“He doesn't _have_ to find out about her.”

“My father is basically his new lapdog. And not to mention Pansy hating her guts. The risk is-”

“Not worth it? What if the good side wins and _He_ is killed? Then all the pain would've been for nothing.”

“It's not that easy. It never is.” Draco let his head fall back to stare at the ceiling.

“Even if I'd keep it a secret, _He_ 'd find out somehow.”

“Didn't Snape teach you this Occlumency thing? You won't have to worry about him reading your thoughts or anything. He probably doesn't even want to _see_ any of us, to him we're just useless kids at the moment.”

“I don't know.”

Blaise looked at his friend. “ _I know_ that your poor mood is because you miss her, and I even understand that. She's a perfect match for you.”

Draco gave him a sideways glance. “That coming from you really means something.”

“That's how you know it's true.”

“Like I said, I don't know.”

“Well, until you do, try to stay in Umbridge's good graces. The last thing we need is a ministry maniac on our backs.”

**xxx**

“Why didn't you tell me Hagrid's back?” Elsa asked the next morning at breakfast.

Apparently the half-giant had returned from his prolonged journey the night before, and her Gryffindor friends had sneaked out to visit him.

“We only noticed when we were in our common room, we didn't have time to get you.” Harry pacified.

Ron nodded. “He and Maxime were on a secret mission, there were giants involved.”

“The giants beat him up like that?”

“Kinda? He wasn't really happy to share more information. And Umbridge visited him at night. Mean bitch.”

“Language, Ron.” Elsa frowned at the staff table.

Umbridge had shown to be quite hateful when it came to half-breeds. Despite there being nothing she could find against Flitwick's teaching methods, his origin of being half-goblin was enough reason for her to treat him coldly.

It wasn't fair, not at all.

And with Hagrid being known for his rather adventurous lessons, on top of his bloodline, it was bound to be a disaster.

There had been quite a ruckus when Umbridge threw Trelawny out the previous week, deeming her unfit to teach. Fortunately Dumbledore, as the headmaster, was able to at least keep her in Hogwarts.

And Trelawny was fully human.

Even if she fired Hagrid, he could still stay in his hut as the gamekeeper. Nevertheless, he would be devastated if he lost his position as professor. He's been so happy to be a teacher.

It was a rainy day at the end of November when they had their first Care of Magical Creatures class with Hagrid.

Elsa had been delighted to see Buckbeak had returned with him and spent a few good minutes greeting him. Unfortunately class had to start, so with the promise to visit him before dinner, Elsa followed the others into the Forbidden Forest.

Today's topic were Thestrals. Horse-like creatures that were only visible to those who've seen and understood the concept of death.

They were said to be an omen of death, but despite their reputation Hagrid said they were generally gentle creatures. Especially this trained herd of the gamekeeper.

Umbridge's appearance was dampening the mood. She was already pretty angered because they had left without her.

Her questions were clearly meant to throw Hagrid off, making Elsa frown deeply.

“I _told_ him he should follow Grubbly-Plank's schedule...” Hermione bit her lip with worry and glared at Umbridge. “But he wouldn't listen!”

At one point Ron had to hold Harry back. He would've straight up attacked Umbridge, probably even hexed her, which wouldn't have been good.

He was one of the toad's favorite victims, after all. He definitely didn't need _another_ punishment.

“She's making him look bad, we can't just let her!” He hissed.

They watched Umbridge talk to Pansy, listened to the horribly fake retelling of Buckbeak's attack in their third year.

“... and the dangerous beast just lashed out at me, as if-”

“Buckbeak only attacked you because you insulted him and freaked out at him!” Elsa exploded. She couldn't hold herself back.

Umbridge had this ugly mean smile as she turned around. “I believe I was talking to Miss Parkinson.”

“Well _I_ believe you are just trying to find reasons to make Hagrid look bad.”

The rest of the students and Hagrid were deathly silent then. Elsa knew she was risking getting into deep trouble, but she couldn't get herself to care.

It was enough that Umbridge was interfering with everything good in Hogwarts, but taking advantage of Hagrid's insecurities, just because he wasn't fully human, was too much.

“Ten points from Ravenclaw for disrespectful behavior.” Umbridge gave a triumphant smile and turned back to Pansy.

“Now tell me more about these failures of-”

“If you want to get a correct picture of Hagrid's teaching methods, you should ask more than just _your_ favorite students. Or, I don't know, maybe let him actually teach instead of interrupting every two seconds.”

“Elsa, don't-” Hagrid's voice was thin with surprise at that outburst, coming from her of all people.

“Detention, Miss Winters.”

“For what? Telling the truth?”

“For interrupting me during my evaluation!”

She knew she should stop. Hate kept her going. “What good is an evaluation if the one executing it is incompetent and biased?!”

There were a few gasps and hushed whispers from the students, some open mouths.

Umbridge turned scarlet, close to exploding as she furiously scribbled on her clipboard and ripped off the parchment.

“This behavior won't be tolerated.” Her voice was thin with barely concealed rage. “You go to your head of house now! And I'll be seeing you for detention every night until Christmas!”

“Gladly.” Head held high, Elsa snatched the parchment from Umbridge's hand and stormed off towards the castle.

Her heart was still thumping wildly from speaking up like that, but it had felt good none the less.

She couldn't just stand there and let her ruin Hagrid's job. She could definitely take detention, Harry couldn't. Not any more than he already had.

“Don't you have class now?” Professor Sprout asked after opening the door to the staff room.

“Our dear High Inquisitor sent me to see Professor Flitwick.” She held up the parchment, jaw squared.

Having heard his name, Flitwick waddled over to the door and took the paper.

He read over the lines and gave a small laugh, shaking his head. Realizing he probably shouldn't encourage that behavior, he cleared his throat.

“Ahem. Well, of course this isn't okay. Talking like that to a professor.”

Elsa folded her arms. “If she'd do her job correctly I wouldn't have had to.”

“Look, I know. We _all_ know. But Hogwarts going against her won't do any good.”

“I can't just stand back and watch her antagonize Hagrid because he's a half-breed!”

Flitwick sighed. “She tried it with me too, but I'm still here, aren't I?”

“But Hagrid's teaching methods aren't exactly what she'd deem proper. She's gonna use every excuse to sack him, like she did with Professor Trelawny.”

“There's nothing we _can_ do, Elsa. She has the Ministry on her side. We'll just have to put up with her.” He adjusted his glasses.

“Fudge's respect for you makes you a target in her eyes, hence the incident at the Quidditch game.”

Elsa shook her head. “I don't think I can just hold back.”

“Try, at least. From what I heard, her punishment methods can be described as pretty cruel. She's an insane woman when angered.”

“Yes, carving words on your hand isn't what I call a normal punishment.”

“... What?” Both Sprout and Flitwick blinked at her.

“Oh...” Elsa bit her tongue. She probably shouldn't have said that. If Harry hadn't wanted to tell McGonagall, he surely didn't want other professors to know either.

“Harry didn't want to say anything, but his detention with Umbridge consisted of him writing lines with a special quill... his hand was hurting quite a lot.”

“Minerva has to hear this. These ancient methods cannot be tolerated.” Sprout said to Flitwick.

“And _you_ definitely won't be forced to do this, either.” The Ravenclaw head of house assured his student.

“I'll make sure your detention is within the lines.”

It was unnecessary to say that Umbridge wasn't happy about that outcome.

However, with Dumbledore still in charge, there wasn't much she could do.

McGonagall had blown up right into Umbridge's face about her primitive methods, backed up by Dumbledore, who made it clear she wouldn't be allowed to harm any student. Not even for a punishment.

Harry and Ron were quite proud of her, as they stated, but Hermione warned her that she should try to keep a low profile too.

Fred and George were congratulating her, delighted by their perfect princess' newly rebellious behavior.

Elsa didn't mind. If Umbridge wanted a war, she could have it. She didn't care about detention.

One thing she learned was that authority must be obeyed, or it must be overthrown.

And she surely wouldn't bow to unfairness.

Whenever the situation allowed it, she'd talk back at Umbridge. It was good to show her disapproval so openly.

As a prefect, she should be a role model, but for once in her life, she didn't care about what impression she made.

The twins were right on track with her, though they mostly used their jinxes and prank candy to cause havoc in her classes. With that, they were doing a good job rising Umbridge's temper to new heights.

It was the perfect answer to her ridiculous rules and decrees.

**xxx**

The chilly and wet weather had brought a wave of colds. Unfortunately Umbridge had found a new way to torture the students.

Since Fred and George's candy was still going round after having been forbidden, Umbridge saw this as a reason to forbid Madam Pomfrey to heal the pupils.

Ron had a snotty nose and was continuously sniffling, annoying Hermione to no end.

The result of the rule was a few dozen hallways filled with coughing and sneezing students.

It was a rather ugly experience walking through them.

Elsa wasn't too worried about catching anything, since she's never had a cold before in her life.

She wasn't even sure if she _could_ get colds or anything.

While Hermione was snapping at Ron to finally blow his nose to stop the sniffling, Harry had pulled his cloak over his lower face.

Elsa chuckled in amusement. "You know, with so many germs flying around this won't help. And don't you share a room with Ron too?"

He gave her half a glare and shook his head. "We have a DA meeting tomorrow. I can't teach a group of people when I'm sick."

He ducked behind her when they passed a nastily coughing third year.

"Didn't you say half of the DA is sick anyways? And it's only two weeks until Christmas. You could cancel the meetings for December... at least until everyone gets better." Elsa advised, making him sigh and roll his eyes.

"We'll see."

Since the three Gryffindors needed to prepare some things for the meeting, Elsa had decided to spend the afternoon with Luna in the library.

They were halfway through their homework, when Draco and Blaise entered the library, whispering as they sat down a few tables away from them.

It was painfully obvious that they were spying on them, hoping to get information about anything forbidden.

Of course, with the Gryffindors using their common room when planning for the DA, the Slytherins couldn't follow them there.

They pretended to do their homework too.

Elsa rubbed her nose for the hundredth time. It had been itching the whole day, but she had dismissed it. A mistake, apparently.

She sneezed, inwardly groaning. So much for her theory.

“Oh my...”

Elsa opened her eyes at Luna's murmur. Mimicking her expression, her jaw also dropped.

On top of her Transfiguration essay was a snowball. A snowball with feet and eyes. And a grinning mouth.

It went to hop off the table, but Luna quickly reached out to catch it, holding it in her lap.

"What did you do?" Luna asked, curiously peeking under the table to see the little snowball.

Of course this suspicious behavior wouldn't go unnoticed by some certain Slytherins. Madam Pince was too busy blowing her own nose to notice anything.

"I don't know..." Elsa whispered, discreetly looking at the snow figure.

She had to sneeze again, and two more of the snowballs appeared. Elsa frantically stuffed them in her bag and held it open for Luna to add hers.

“My powers are acting up when I'm sneezing! I need to go to Madam Pomfrey...”

The two Ravenclaws quickly packed their things and left the library. As expected, they were followed.

Elsa pinched her nose when the urge to sneeze rose again, hoping to stave it off.

She definitely didn't need an army of walking snowmen running around.

"Hey! Wait!"

Not having expected Blaise to actually call out to them, Luna and Elsa stood still. They had expected them to follow them quietly.

Draco appeared irritated too.

Elsa tried to hold the bag as casual as possible to not raise suspicions, pressing it close with her elbow so the snowballs wouldn't peek out.

"Yes?" Luna asked, her voice sounding slightly off as always.

"What's in that bag?" Blaise got straight to the point, clearly annoyed that "Looney" Lovegood was talking to him.

"What bag?" Elsa asked innocently, avoiding to glance at Draco.

Blaise rolled his eyes. "Don't play dumb with me now. You hid something in your bag before fleeing the library. You know all Weasley products are forbidden."

Elsa narrowed her nose and refrained from wiggling her nose when she felt another sneeze coming.

"As a  _ Prefect _ , I know that, yes. Still it's none of your business what I keep in  _my_ bag."

"Oh, it  _ is _ my business." Blaise pointed to a silver  _"I"_ on his robe; Draco wore the same. "We joined Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad."

"What nice badges that are... so shiny. I bet they go well with almost every outfit, yes?"

Elsa wasn't quite sure if Luna was serious, but it was funny to see a vein of annoyance appear on Blaise's temple.

Draco rolled his eyes, having been rather quiet in this encounter.

"Achoo!"

It was quite hard to not stare at the three little snowballs that had appeared right behind the Slytherins. Fortunately the hallway was blessedly empty.

“Are you okay?”

“Of course. Why wouldn't I be? Now if you excuse us, we have to bring our bags back to the common room and then meet up in front of the Muggle Studies classroom with... with friends. You know, study group.”

Elsa purposely stayed vague, acting as if there was a secret meeting ahead.

And the Muggle Studies classroom would lead them _away_ from the wiggling snowballs.

The two Slytherins exchanged a look, that ended with Draco pushing past Elsa and Luna, Blaise following.

“That was a close call.” Luna giggled, quickly scooping up the snowballs.

“Nothing to laugh about.” Elsa said, rubbing her nose. “Here, take my bag and... I don't know, let them go into the Forbidden Forest or something.”

“Madam Pomfrey won't heal you...”

“I'll think of something.”

She had to improvise in the end. After all, she couldn't just tell her the truth. The healer would think she was hallucinating.

Elsa had resorted to begging for something against the sneezes at least, and was successful.

With her nose freed, it was easier. At least she didn't have to worry about the snowballs anymore.

Hopefully there wouldn't be any more unexpected power boosts.

Harry had been lucky and managed to avoid getting sick. So the DA meeting could take place the next day.

Their numbers were lessened a lot with the colds, but quite a few were determined to practice anyways, even with runny noses and cough attacks.

There's been a lot of improvement from Neville especially, and it was nice to see some very powerful spells overall.

At least they were a little prepared for worst case scenario.

At the end of the meeting Harry announced it was the last for this year, and the next one would take place at the end of January.

Elsa was glad when the meeting finally ended. She was exhausted and looked forward to just curl up in her bed.

Since Luna had already left with Ginny, and Cho was staying behind to talk to Harry, Elsa was alone on her way back to the Ravenclaw common room.

She was too worn to actually take a long detour in case of being followed, but hurried to get to the sixth floor at least.

As she rounded a corner, she ran into someone, losing her balance.

“Ugh. Ow.”

“Sorry... here.” Of course she would run into Draco.

The Slytherin helped her up. Elsa put a hand to the wall to steady herself.

“Thanks.”

“... Are you alright?”

Elsa gave him a look. Why did he care now? After ignoring her for the past months?

“Yes.”

He seemed to have realized what he said. “What... what are you doing up here? Your common room is a floor below.”

“I just had to look something up in the library." If she hadn't known any better, Elsa would've thought it sounded as if Draco had been trying to avoid her.

“Sure you were.” He sighed, voice dripping with sarcasm. At least he didn't pry.

"If you don't mind... It's getting late, I want to go back to my common room now." She brushed some imaginary dust from her dress and started walking, using the wall for support.

She heard Draco take a few steps further away, then hesitate, and then he was at her side again.

“You can't even walk right. Let me help you.”

“Huh. For a second here I thought you were trying to avoid me.”

Silver eyes lowered. “Not like I have a choice.”

Elsa glanced at him for a moment, before simply sliding down to sit on the floor, back against the cool stone wall.

“This is stupid.”

Draco hesitated before his shoulders slumped and he sat next to her, the both of them staring at the opposite wall in silence.

Since it was late afternoon and most of the other students were sick or busy with studying and homework, this little side corridor was empty.

“I thought we were ignoring each other.” She started.

“I've tried.”

“You did well the past months. Why stop now?”

"You're sick. I can't help but worry about you."

"Tch, I'm all good. There's no need to worry."

Draco raised one eyebrow at the slight slur in her speech. "Yeah, I can see that."

Elsa sighed. “I miss our little talks, you know?”

The corners of Draco's mouth lifted involuntarily. “Me too.”

"My parents are trying to fix it. The arranged marriage." Elsa babbled on, mind a little too fuzzy.

“I'm not gonna sit back and be a victim.”

“Mh. I noticed you're in quite a rebellious phase. You shouldn't make Umbridge mad at you, though. She's dangerous.”

“I don't care.”

Draco bit the inside of his cheek. “The gifts that arrive every now and then... are they from him? The prince?”

“Yeah. But I'm not accepting them. He can shove his mock manners... elsewhere.” She rolled her aching shoulders.

“Besides, the only jewelry I ever wear is this,” she pulled back her sleeve to reveal the charm bracelet, “and this.”

She vaguely gestured to her throat, where the snowflake necklace was hidden under her dress's collar.

“...You're still wearing them?” Had Elsa cared to look at him, she would've noticed him flushing slightly.

His hand automatically touched his left wrist, where the old friendship bracelet was still hidden.

“Of course. Even if we can't be friends anymore, I still like you.” She rubbed at her temple.

“Anyways, I won't let myself be forced into a marriage. And especially I won't accept the mockery of that evil arrogant prince.”

The Slytherin glanced at Elsa. “Good to hear that you fight against it.”

“I hate it. Always having to be strong and collected and... and having to live up to these stupid expectations.”

“Can't imagine you being anything but a smart and stubborn princess.”

“Would we still be friends if I wasn't?” Elsa looked up at him.

“What? Stubborn?”

“A princess. D'you think we'd still be friends if I wasn't a princess and there wasn't an arranged marriage?”

Draco's mouth twisted. “I don't know. We'd probably find a way. But it's not only that... With my family's background... I mean... I can't be friends with a muggleborn. It's a danger for you and for my family.”

“But I'm not. A muggleborn, I mean.”

“You're delirious. I've looked it up, the king and queen of Arendelle are muggles, no trace of magic going back a few generations. There's been one witch ages ago, but that's it.”

“They're not really my family. I'm not muggleborn. I... I don't even know what I am.” Elsa rubbed at her temples.

It was true, she had no idea as what she was classified. Part spirit, part witch, part veela, raised as a muggle. She was a weird mix of everything.

“... Let's get you to your common room. You need rest.”

Draco got up and took Elsa's hands, pulling her to her feet. She stumbled, falling right into him.

The Slytherin's arms came up automatically to catch her, wrapping around her.

Their gazes met and for a few heartbeats Elsa wanted to sink into the embrace. It was comforting, being held.

Silver eyes were wide, the pale cheeks flushing slightly. Even when sick Elsa was stunningly beautiful. That was something he couldn't deny.

With her in his arms like that, he'd only need to lean a little closer-

"Meow!"

They awoke from their trance when Mrs Norris appeared.

Getting her senses back, Elsa made to stand on her own again, while Draco glared at the cat.

He ignored the feline then in favor of helping Elsa to the entrance of the Ravenclaw's common room.

“C-Can you manage the staircase?”

Elsa blushed and opened the door. “Yes. Thanks for your help.”

He bit his lip and nodded, turning around to leave.

“Draco...?”

“Hm?”

“... Never mind.”

It had taken Elsa a whole week to get rid of the cold. Unfortunately she could remember every little detail of the encounter with Draco. It was ridiculous how she had acted, so completely out of sorts and she almost had told him her secret.

She needed to get her collected attitude back. Especially since Draco went back to ignoring her.

**xxx**

Elsa's birthday started with horrible news. Apparently Harry had some sort of prophetic dream that Arthur Weasley has been attacked.

He and the Weasley kids had left in the middle of the night.

“I'll talk to my parents. I can't go skiing with them when Mr Weasley almost died...” Hermione shook her head, not touching her toast.

“I'm sure my family won't mind if I come a few days later.”

The holidays were cut short anyways, with the prolonged journey there and back, and it would've been easier to just stay here, but since making up with the king and queen, Elsa wanted to spend more time with them.

“Why do you think did Harry dream this?” Hermione murmured.

“Normally I'd say dreams are dreams and not question it.” Elsa shrugged uneasily. “But in this case...”

“D'you reckon You-know-who wanted him to see it?” Luna spoke up.

They exchanged a look. If that really was the case, they were in big trouble.

Hermione leaned back in her seat. “It doesn't help that everyone still denies his return. It's dangerous!”

“With everyone making a big secret out of it, how would they know?” Elsa rubbed her temple.

“The only information the wizarding world gets is that Harry lost his mind. Potential believers are kept out of the loop.”

“So we have to inform them.”

“The Daily Prophet only writes what the Ministry approves. There's no way they would print the truth.”

Neville, who's been informing them of Harry's nightmare, shrugged helplessly.

“And the other magazines follow the lead.”

“What about The Quibbler?” Elsa looked at Luna. “Would your father print an interview with Harry?”

“The Quibbler?” Hermione's distaste was clear on her face.

“Yes. Unless you know another way to make it public?” Elsa challenged.

“Oh, he definitely would. We just need someone to write the article.” Luna said when Hermione couldn't come up with a better idea.

“I'll take care of that.” The bushy-haired girl nodded, determined. “And we have to convince Harry, of course. I gotta write a few letters.”

With that, she was off.

A small, dark haired Ravenclaw stepped up to them, then. Elsa recognized him as one of the first-years. He was a shy little guy.

“Do you need something, David?” Elsa asked with a calming smile.

Encouraged, David held out a little black box to her. “I was told to give this to you.”

Blinking in surprise, Elsa took the box. “Who was it?”

“I'm not allowed to tell...” He hunched up his shoulders.

“It's fine. Thank you, David.”

Relieved, the boy hurried off, leaving Elsa to examine the box.

“Who could it be from?” Neville asked, tilting his head.

“I have a vague idea.” Elsa glanced at the Slytherin table, but Draco was nowhere to be seen.

“Open it!” Luna urged with a smile.

As expected, it held another charm for her bracelet. It was a simple silver one, a mask. It took Elsa a moment to figure out the connection.

The mask was the symbol of Guy Fawkes. A wizard they've learned about the previous year in history of magic.

He was generally a symbol of rebellion. Elsa couldn't help but smile at that.

“Did you know that people assumed he was the elemental of fire?” Luna said as she attached it to the bracelet.

“Really?”

“Mhm. Daddy says he was a genius.”

“He was. A rebellious genius.”

After a detour to St. Mungo's to visit Arthur Weasley, Elsa was glad to finally be back in Arendelle. Hogwarts wasn't as welcoming to her as it used to be.

Anna was glad to have her back, clinging to her and babbling nonstop about what she and Kristoff had learned with Mathias.

Rambunctious as she was, learning to fight with a sword fit her perfectly.

One day Elsa watched her practice with Kristoff, the two of them having the time of their lives.

It was crystal clear that they were a match made in heaven, even though Elsa thought Anna was a little too young to be romantically interested in someone.

So far it didn't look like there was any romance involved anyways. They just enjoyed themselves, as friends.

“Woah, what's that?”

A gigantic bird was coming at them, some sort of cross-bred owl, Elsa concluded, and landed in front of the blonde in the snow.

It dutifully held out its leg, where a letter was attached. After being freed of the burden, the owl-mix approached a stack of Sven's carrots, curiously picking on the vegetables.

Sven didn't dare come closer, only tilted his head at the bird.

Elsa's face lit up when she saw the seal of Beauxbatons.

“Who is Madame... Maxime?”

“Headmistress of the wizarding school in France. She's really nice.”

There was a photograph attached to the letter, showing Isabelle cuddling with Buckbeak and laughing. The picture was quickly hidden from Anna's view.

Elsa wasn't quite ready yet for Anna to find out that they were not really related.

Waving her sister off, Elsa went back into her room to read the letter in privacy.

There were a few lines, wishing her a happy birthday, and so on. The second half of the letter was more interesting, though.

Maxime had the address of Isabelle's parents, Elsa's real grandparents, and was offering to let them know about her.

Elsa didn't know what to think about that. Of course she'd love to find out who her real grandparents were, and they would be able to tell her more about her mother too, but right at the moment was probably not the time.

Not with Voldemort back, at least.

So she thanked her for the offer, but wrote that she'd need time to think about it. Perhaps she wouldn't even like what she'd find out.

Later that evening, Elsa sat in their music room, absentmindedly creating ice pebbles in her palms and throwing them into the lit fireplace.

Anna was practicing playing the harpsichord under Iduna's watchful eyes and ears, while Kristoff was playing a weird game of cards with Sven, and losing by the looks of it.

Elsa eyed her charm bracelet, the new charm to be exact. It could mean so many things, especially coming from Draco, but what exactly? And why wouldn't he even _talk_ to her?

And going against Umbridge was a risky idea too. She didn't care if she got expelled or anything, it was not like she needed a magical degree with her future as queen. And the detention had passed rather soft in comparison to Harry's torture.

However, talking back at her wouldn't exactly do much. There had to be more she could do. Maybe Fred and George had ideas. They've mentioned more than once that they didn't care about their education.

She thoughtfully watched the last pebble melt in the fire. Elsa had turned sixteen, her powers had grown to the point where she could create life and clothing.

Pursing her lips, Elsa created another pebble, concentrating on pouring some of her witch power into it. She grew it to the size of a baseball, examining it when she was done.

It was worth a try, so she threw it into the fire. A grin showed on her face when she knelt in front of it, watching the ball of ice burn merrily.

“What are you doing?” Anna's voice rang out.

“I just created ice that's not melting.” The blonde said, experimentally freezing flames. She should definitely play with her powers more.

“Wow, that's so cool!”

“Back to practicing, Anna...” Iduna smiled at her pouting daughter, correcting her when she placed her hands wrong.

“But that's boring, I want to watch the ice.”

Elsa smiled and created a butterfly, letting it flutter around in the room. She laughed at Sven trying to catch it, Kristoff and Anna right behind him.

Iduna shook her head with a smile. It was useless to get Anna to concentrate on anything when there were more funny things to distract her.

“Here, I can even make clothes.” Elsa said, tongue sticking out as she covered her little sister's dress, creating a sort of veil that flowed over the skirt.

“When did you learn that?!” Anna squealed, spinning around quickly to let the ice skirt fly.

“Last year. My powers get stronger the older I get.”

“This is _amazing_!” Anna giggled. “Can you make another animal? A bunny?”

Elsa laughed and quickly made a rabbit, covering it in her newly discovered permafrost.

Another squeal escaped her sister as she cuddled the cold snow bunny. “I _love_ it!”

**xxx**

“We're going to leave for the Mediranian kingdom the day after tomorrow.” The royal couple announced during the last dinner before Elsa would leave for Hogwarts again.

The older princess lowered her cutlery. “What? Why?”

“They're a big kingdom, with good forces. We don't have trading business with them, if we want them on our side against King Ilian we're gonna have to negotiate the conditions.”

Elsa frowned deeply. “But if you leave the safety of the shield you're an easy target for attacks.”

“Ilian doesn't know what we're planning. It's unlikely he'd attack.”

“Unlikely, but not impossible. Aren't our trading partners enough?”

“Not nearly enough. We'll be fighting to win, if it comes to it.” Agnarr cleaned his mouth. “And didn't you say they couldn't kill us?”

“Back then, yes, because then the royal family would be gone. But with Anna and I here now-”

“That's only speculation, Elsa. Ilian won't know any more than we do. We're going to be fine.”

She definitely didn't like where this was going. Her parents traveling around the world was dangerous. Especially with their only reassurance being the implication that their foe _didn't know_.

“Still I'd feel better if you'd stay here...”

“We've been traveling for years, even after the contract, we will manage. Don't you worry.” Agnarr calmed her.

“Besides, it's only for two weeks, and then we'll be back.”

Somehow that didn't lessen her worry at all.

On the train back to Hogwarts, she at least got good news. Arthur was fully healed and fine.

Hermione had managed to convince Harry to give an interview for The Quibbler, and revealed that she planned on blackmailing Rita Skeeter to write the article for them.

That was something, at least.

Even if the magazine of Luna's father was highly questionable, there were lots of people reading it. And there would be even more when it held an exclusive interview with Harry, about what happened at the Triwizard Tournament with Cedric.

It was bound to work in their favor. To top it off, it would make Umbridge angry. That alone would be worth it.

* * *


	24. Chapter 24

* * *

Back at school Elsa was greeted by bad news.

There's been a mass breakout of Azkaban. Ten of the most dangerous Death Eaters had escaped.

That was a horrible omen. The only positive side effect it had was that the other students finally started to believe Harry.

Minister Fudge accused Sirius for planning it, since one of the escaped prisoners was Bellatrix Lestrange, his cousin.

Of course Elsa and the Gryffindors knew that wasn't true, but unfortunately the rest of the Wizarding World thought him guilty.

On top of that, Harry was to start private lessons with Snape, to learn how to close his mind from Voldemort's. Occlumency, a very questionable branch of magic.

To say Harry was devastated was an understatement.

In Hogwarts things weren't going all that well either. Aside from the decrees that bordered on ridiculous, the student interviews Umbridge held became even more fierce and frequent.

Since the Inquisitorial Squad hasn't been very successful in information gathering, Umbridge concentrated on investigating herself.

With Pansy having started to follow Elsa's every step, the Ravenclaw didn't dare join another DA meeting.

Ron kept thinking up ways to get rid of her, because he thought Elsa could help with teaching a Patronus.

However, Elsa thought it was better to not raise any more suspicions.

She didn't mind missing a few meetings, as she could defend herself just fine already.

What she did mind, greatly, was Pansy's constant taunting. Wherever she went, there was the nagging following.

Perhaps the Slytherin was hoping Elsa would lose her patience and snap at her, accidentally revealing something.

If that was her plan, she'd fail royally.

Today's meeting was important to many of them, all of the DA members were eager to practice the Patronus.

Elsa had decided to lure Pansy away from the others, only to bore her to death by sitting in the library with a book.

At least there Madam Pince would tell Pansy to shut up.

Some time passed quietly then, until Goyle appeared and excitedly informed Pansy that they finally found the “secret lair”.

Elsa's eyes widened, hurrying to follow the two Slytherins. They couldn't have found them, could they?

Terry Boot almost crashed into her, having run to the direction of the Ravenclaw Tower.

“Elsa, they found us! Oh damn, they found us!” He exclaimed with a pale face and ran off.

Anthony and a few other Ravenclaws followed, the other prefect taking Elsa's arm and dragging her along to their common room.

“What happened?” She asked her classmate.

“They just blew it up, I think we got away before they could identify us all.”

Elsa bit her lip. “Did someone think to take the list with our names?”

By the paling of Anthony's skin, she guessed not.

At dinner, she made to sit with her Gryffindor friends. Luna had told her about the explosion again, and that she's suspected someone must've told Umbridge.

Harry confirmed that. He's been brought to Dumbledore's office after the exposure, and since the group was carrying his name, Umbridge and the Ministry saw their fears confirmed.

Dumbledore had taken the blame completely, and vanished with the help of his phoenix Fawkes before the aurors could bring him to Azkaban.

Apparently Cho was the traitor, which was a big surprise. The older Ravenclaw was nowhere to be seen at the table, nor was Becky.

Hermione glared at thin air. “She's probably at the infirmary right now. Not that Madam Pomfrey would be able to help her...”

“Woah, what did you do to her? Aren't we in enough trouble already?” Ron asked, eyes wide.

“ _I_ did nothing. That was all herself. The only thing I did was enchant the parchment we signed. You'll see in a few days.”

Already the next morning it was announced that Umbridge took over the job as Headmistress.

That wasn't only annoying the student body, but also all the professors. The pink toad was getting too much power.

Instead of being expelled, as everyone had expected, the members of the DA were forced into detention. They had to write lines, like Harry at the beginning of the year, with the blood quill.

In the otherwise empty Great Hall, the hisses of pain very highly audible.

Since she was headmistress now, nobody could do anything against her brutal form of punishment. She could literally do anything she wanted, with Fudge strengthening her back.

With hatred, Elsa watched Umbridge sip her tea. The back of her hand burned from pain, the temperature dropping in the hall.

She concentrated on the fancy teacup, feeling magic tingle in her chest.

Satisfaction paired with wonder showed itself in Elsa when she saw Umbridge frown and turn the cup upside down. The tea had frozen.

Continuing her lines to not appear suspicious, Elsa winced in pain.

She wondered if it would leave scars, or if she was even able to have scars. With being half-spirit, was she immortal too?

There was no way of knowing for sure, and she couldn't really try now, could she?

Anyhow, thinking about this was a good distraction from the pain.

After detention they all left the Great Hall, where Cho was waiting for them. For Harry to be exact. It wasn't a surprise he ignored her.

The jinx Hermione had mentioned was indeed not easy to overlook. In fat boils and pimples the word SNEAK was spelled all over her face. She wore heavy make-up and had a scarf covering half of her face, but Elsa had seen it in the morning before she could hide it.

Apparently Madam Pomfrey really couldn't make them vanish. While Becky had easily forgiven her best friend, especially after the horrible jinx put on her, the rest of the DA avoided her like the plague.

Some Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs even pranked her to show their resentment, while the Ravenclaws straight-up ignored her. With her being in their house, they'd have to keep up the peace. At least a little, to show unity.

Elsa did feel a little bad for her, the punishment seemed rather drastic, but then her hand twinged in pain again and she couldn't help but think Cho deserved it. 

With Umbridge as headmistress, the rules – or more like the educational decrees – changed drastically. They've been dumb before, but now they were just ridiculous.

They took away all of the paintings for example. Absolutely nothing fun was allowed anymore. The visits to Hogsmeade were forbidden.

To Elsa, it felt like it had back then just after the accident with Anna had happened.

Of course there were more students, but what's the point in meeting up when all you were allowed to do was whisper and study? Hogwarts had been great, it had always felt like a home with the warm candle light and the colorful talking portraits. But now it felt – and looked – like a prison. The castle seemed to have lost all color, everything seemed gray, cold and hopeless.

One thing that lightened up the mood was Fred and George's idea of fun, like setting off fireworks all over Hogwarts.

It was indeed fun, to watch the new headmistress spend her day running around and trying to get rid of magical fireworks.

When those had worn off after a few days, Elsa thought it would be funny to cover her office door, and the DADA classroom's door, with her newly discovered non-melt-able ice.

That one had brought her a lifelong discount in the twins' planned joke shop.

When Flitwick found out it had been her doing, he was beyond himself with pride and kept praising her for the excellent use of an ice charm. Especially when none of the professors was able to melt it with any spell.

Without any proof, there was nothing Umbridge or Filch could do against the Weasley twins or Elsa.

There was one upside to Umbridge taking over, and that was the supervision of _all_ mail. That way, Elsa was spared more unwanted gifts from Asparuh, and Anna's letters didn't hold any secret information.

For Harry, that was not so good. He couldn't communicate with Sirius at all anymore, which bothered him a great deal.

Apparently there had been an incident with Snape's private lessons, but he didn't want to talk about it with his friends. He had to talk to his godfather first. And to Hermione's dismay, he wanted to use Umbridge's fireplace to talk to him, as it was the only one not being monitored.

“Fred and I have something up our sleeves that could buy you twenty minutes.” George announced at lunch.

“If Elsa showed us what charm she used on the ice it could be more.”

Elsa rolled her eyes. “It's a pretty complicated charm, Madame Maxime taught me.”

“Sheesh, we may don't have many OWLs, but we're not stupid.”

“I didn't say that. You're geniuses, the both of you. I could help you with your distraction.” She offered.

“We don't want _you_ to get in trouble. After all, we're almost done with school anyways.”

“Touching.” Elsa chuckled. “But I don't care about getting in trouble anymore. Not at all.”

The twins exchanged a look and grinned. “Fine. Meet us Monday around four. Harry, at five sharp we start, be ready then.”

The following Monday Elsa's first class was Transfiguration with the Hufflepuffs.

The Ravenclaw fifth-years were having their career advice conversations with Flitwick that morning.

When Anthony came back from his, he sat back down next to Elsa. “I can't believe it. Umbridge is evaluating Flitwick's advice talks...”

“... Are you serious?”

“He was doing good, but Umbridge criticized every sentence he made... I'm a little scared she tries to sack him, like she did with Trelawny...”

Elsa found herself starting to glare against her own will. Aside from Vector, Flitwick was her favorite teacher. And she wouldn't let this horrible toad try to throw him out just because of his origin.

When it was her turn, the last before lunch, she entered Flitwick's office with a determined expression.

Her head of house appeared annoyed, a little pale and sweaty, with Umbridge humming happily as she scribbled on her clipboard.

Nevertheless, he smiled at Elsa.

“Good to see you, Elsa. Now, have you thought about a job that would interest you?”

“Hem hem.”

Elsa clenched her fists in her lap to stay calm. The high-pitched voice was grating on her nerves.

Flitwick took a deep breath. “Yes, Dolores?”

“Well, since our dear princess will be busy with her royal duties, I believe this conversation is a waste of time, don't you think?”

“Actually,” Elsa spoke up before Flitwick could open his mouth, “since my parents are in best health, there is lots of time for me to pursue a magical career before I have to take over the throne. So I'd be beyond grateful for Professor Flitwick's competent advice.”

Umbridge's smile was frosty, but cold had never bothered Elsa.

“Lovely. Then proceed.”

“Thank you, headmistress.” Flitwick refrained from glaring at the pink clothed woman, smiling at Elsa instead.

“Alright, so you already have an idea?”

“Indeed. I'm quite interested in magical law and would love to work as a lawyer. You know, defending innocently accused people.”

It wasn't lost to anyone in the room that she was referring to Harry's unfair trial the last summer.

“Excuse me, but we don't employ lawyers at the ministry. So there's no way-”

“Excuse _me_ , Dolores, but I am her head of house. I'd appreciate it if you'd let me do my job.”

Elsa was having a hard time not grinning at Flitwick's comment.

“Very well.” More scribbling.

Flitwick's little fists tightened. “Ahem. So, the ministry itself doesn't employ lawyers. _However_ , there are several private magical lawyers that do take trainees, if you're interested.”

“That sounds great, professor.”

The half-goblin smiled widely and noted that down on a slip of parchment.

“The ministry has fierce stipulations on which lawyers they accept in their trials. They require NEWTs in Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Defense Against the Dark Arts and Charms, but that of course isn't a problem at all with your marks. There's also a second language required.”

“That's quite alright, I'm learning french.”

“Wonderful! Now after school, there's a year of being a trainee where you'll learn the technicalities. You're gonna have to study the laws autonomously, with the experienced lawyer as a mentor. And that's pretty much all. If you want I'll write you a letter of recommendation in your seventh year.”

“Absolutely perfect. Thank you so much for your help. You're a fantastic teacher.”

She was laying it pretty thick, but the vein on Umbridge's neck was worth it.

**xxx**

The monotone daily base found a change one rainy afternoon in April.

They'd have to take their OWLs soon, despite all that happened, and all fifth years were studying in the Great Hall under Professor Sprout's and McGonagall's watchful eyes.

Rumor had it they volunteered to have some free time from Umbridge, who was getting really annoying with pestering professors thoroughly to find something to sack them.

It was clearly visible all the teachers were sick of it and even showed some rebellious antics whenever it was possible.

So the students were allowed to whisper and work in groups, but had to be careful in case Umbridge decided to pay a surprise visit.

They didn't have to worry about the Inquisitorial Squad, since they got their own private study room to prepare for the OWLs. Courtesy of Umbridge, of course.

The rest of the Slytherins were sick of the ill treatment, they wouldn't tell on them. They were just as happy as the others to finally have some "free time". Even if it was meant for studying.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Elsa were sitting together as a work group. Not even Hermione was that interested in actually working, as she had been studying for the OWLs ever since the beginning of the year.

Harry still felt guilty about the whole DA incident, and his friends' reassuring words only helped a little.

"Hagrid passed me a note during lunch..." Ron started in a whisper, "He wants to meet us as soon as possible."

The four of them shared a meaningful look.

"How are we supposed to leave the castle? Umbridge and her lackeys have a damn close eye on us..." Hermione said, but Harry shook his head.

"You shouldn't even try. I won't let you get in trouble again. I'll use my invisibility cloak and sneak out later."

His friends just stared at him blankly, until Hermione reached out and simply slapped the back of his head. If the professors had seen it, they didn't say anything.

"Do we look like we care about trouble anymore, Harry? We've been through every possible trouble with you ever since the first year, so shut up and think about a way we all can leave the castle!"

Harry blinked and blushed a little. Apparently he had really thought they would leave him hanging.

"You should care about getting in trouble..." He mumbled, but eventually sighed. "I guess we could use the Marauder's Map. There should be a way out of the castle that doesn't lead us straight to Hogsmeade."

Harry shrugged and pretended to write something when the professors passed their table.

"But seriously, if they catch us they'll expel us for sure. Do you really wanna take the risk?"

“I'm not sure they would really expel us. Sneaking around after curfew is pretty harmless compared to building up a secret organization.” Elsa assured.

“Yeah, and we survived the blood quill, another hour of detention won't do much more harm.” Ron added.

Harry gave a tiny grateful smile.

It was late evening when Elsa silently left the Ravenclaw's common room. Immediately she was engulfed in a fabric. She managed to keep her surprised squeak in when she realized that it was only her friends.

She had known it was them, of course, but nowadays she was quite jumpy.

"Ssh, Snape's close." Ron warned as they slowly made their way to the secret passageway Harry had found on the map.

It was hard moving under the cloak without their feet showing. It had been way easier when they were younger and smaller.

Hiding four teenagers with different heights under one single cloak was a pretty hard task, but they managed to reach the passageway without being seen.

As soon as the danger was over they pulled the cloak off, happy to move around freely again.

They came to an opening that was covered with lots of leaves and roots. Hermione used a charm to destroy one of the thicker roots so they could squeeze through.

Ron was having a harder time due to his larger build, it took the friends' combined effort to get him out.

After carefully covering up the opening, they hid under the cloak again. They were too close to the castle, and kept to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. With the high grass, they didn't have to worry about their feet showing at least.

When Hagrid opened the door he was happy to see them. He didn't invite them in. Instead, he grabbed a lantern and led the teenagers to the Forbidden Forest, only speaking when they were in the woods.

"I'm so sorry. I hope you don't get in trouble for this. I wouldn't have asked you to come, but I didn't know what else to do..."

" _ Why _ did you want to see us? What's wrong?" Harry asked. 

"You'll see in a minute." Was all Hagrid said as they made their way through the bushes and trees.

They went in very deep, as deep as they've been back in their first year when they looked for the injured unicorn.

Elsa tried to memorize the way so they'd find their way back for sure. It wasn't that hard, seeing how their large friend squished the bushes, creating a path.

"I'm always taking a different route so the paths aren't that obvious. They can't find him." Hagrid murmured and stopped at a clearing.

There was lots of garbage laying around, but that wasn't the strangest thing. There was a creature that Elsa assumed was a giant.

"H-Hagrid! What... What is this?"

"That's my brother! Grawp." Hagrid sounded quite proud of him, while the four teenagers eyed the large creature with respect.

His skin was grayish, and he looked suspiciously like the mountain troll from their first year. Upon closer inspection, Grawp did appear more humanly than the troll had.

He was tied to a tree with a strong rope. It was long enough to let him roam around a bit, but held him away from the deeper parts of the forest or the castle, for example.

"He's all alone. I'm the only family he has. But... But Umbridge is gonna throw me out soon I think." He sniffed and blew his nose into his blanket-sized tissue.

"Would you visit him from time to time? He gets his food himself, he just needs a little company, when I... when I'm..." The half-giant sobbed and blew his nose again.

It took them quite some time to calm down, while they got acquainted with the giant. He was really friendly and reminded them more of a child that needed parental guidance.

"We'll take care of him." Hermione promised, making Hagrid smile gratefully.

Ron and Elsa jumped in surprise when there was a  _ -snap- _ behind them. It was hard to see them at first, but soon there were hundreds of  _ more snapping sounds _ and thumps when a herd of centaurs ran by. Hagrid's face darkened as he put his tissue away.

"They're mad. The ministry minimized their territory again. You have to be careful when you visit Grawp. They won't hesitate to attack humans that put a foot in their territory." He warned them.

Already on the next day Hagrid was sacked. Umbridge didn't hide her despise of half-breeds, and took great satisfaction when she threw the half-giant out.

**xxx**

In June it was time for their OWLs. Hermione was a horrible wreck, annoying her friends with her need to revise every single question.

Charms, as expected, had been easy for Elsa, as was Transfiguration. The examiners were exceptionally nice, and both McGonagall and Flitwick wore proud expressions at how well their students were doing.

Herbology was a mess to Elsa, and while the theoretical part was alright, she slacked completely on the practical part. She didn't quite mind, Herbology wasn't planned for her future anyways.

For a moment, Elsa had thought of doing miserably on purpose for DADA on Thursday, just to make Umbridge look bad, but in the end it would be more satisfactory to excel, to show her they could defend themselves just fine without her help.

She was in the last group with Ron and Blaise, and it she was called in last with the Slytherin.

Umbridge unnecessarily praised Blaise in front of his examiner, though the tight lines around her mouth showed Elsa she wasn't happy at all.

Elsa managed just fine, only a little disappointed that Umbridge did her best to ignore her.

“Now, you've both done quite well. We thought, for bonus points, can you cast a Patronus?”

Blaise frowned. “We didn't learn that yet, that's NEWT-Level magic...”

His examiner smiled. “Some of your classmates were able to, even under the pressure of the exam, it's so good to see young students being ambitious. Potter even cast a _corporal_ Patronus.”

The Slytherin had to pass, begrudgingly, but Elsa couldn't suppress a satisfied smirk when Umbridge stared at her, as if mentally daring her to show off.

“Expecto Patronum!” The silvery white hippogriff was a sight to see, flying a short round in the Great Hall before landing in front of the examiners.

“Ah, wonderful!”

Elsa took great pleasure in Umbridge's expression.

Ancient Runes on Friday, in comparison, was kind of boring, but since it was the last for the week that was a bonus.

Hermione was beyond mad, having messed up two words, and beat herself up over the whole weekend.

There wasn't much to do for Potions on Monday. She answered what she could in theory, and the mixing in the afternoon ended with a tiny explosion because she forgot one ingredient.

She never cared for Potions anyways.

On Tuesday, a problem made itself shown.

For Care of Magical Creatures, they were outside, of course. Already when they arrived there after lunch, there was a distant roaring sound every few minutes. It came from the forest.

Professor Grubbly-Plank assured them and the examiners that it was probably one of the creatures living there, and since it was far enough away there was no reason to worry.

The Gryffindors and Elsa exchanged a look, though. They hadn't visited Grawp for a long while, only Harry and Ron were there once when he's been asleep.

Chances were high he was throwing a tantrum.

“We can't leave now!” Hermione hissed. “We can't miss the exam!”

“You've seen what he did to Hagrid, we wouldn't be able to help anyways...” Ron mumbled.

“But it's Hagrid's little brother, we have to, we promised.”

Elsa sighed. “I'll go. He's probably just lonely and confused. I'm one of the last ones to go. Just... take your time answering to buy me some time.”

With that, Elsa subtly made her leave. It was surprisingly easy, with so many students taking their exam.

In the forest, she followed the roars that came to sound like wails the closer she got.

Indeed, Grawp was trampling around his place, ripping out nearby bushes with clumps of earth and throwing them around.

Like this, he looked seriously huge. Since she was alone, she used her powers to freeze his feet to the ground.

He roared and broke one free, struggling with the other.

“Ssh, Grawp, it's alright!” Elsa tried to calm him.

He gave a howl and let himself fall on his butt, breaking his second leg free. He sniffed.

“That's good, calm down. Everything's fine. I'm here.”

Slowly and carefully, Elsa stepped closer and patted his enormous leg.

Grawp babbled something that could probably be defined as asking for Hagrid. At least that's what Elsa interpreted.

“Hagrid is on vacation.” She lied. “He will be back soon. But don't you worry, you're not alone.”

He gave a whimper and babbled on, holding out his hand. Elsa wasn't sure what he wanted.

He jerked his hand, forming a fist with one finger sticking out.

A twig was stuck there, like a splinter.

“Ah, so that's it. No worries, let's get this out...”

She had no idea how she was supposed to get that branch out with bare hands, so she pulled out her wand.

“This is going to hurt a little.” She warned, wincing as she used _Accio_ to pull it out. She was barely able to duck out of the way when the big twig zoomed in her direction.

Grawp yelped and whined, like a toddler.

“No no, it's all good. Here.” Elsa carefully coated his injured fingertip in ice, the cool sensation calming him.

“Now, isn't that better?”

She jumped a little at noticing two centaurs by the trees, just outside of Grawp's movement radius.

“You're not fully human.” The taller one said.

Elsa got to her feet, brushing off a few leaves. She knew the centaurs could be very dangerous with their territory invaded.

“I'm partly veela.”

The elder centaur stroke his beard and sniffed. “Not only that. Powers beyond earthly bounds cling to you.”

The princess didn't comment on that. She couldn't deny it, but wouldn't confirm it either.

“I have to get back to school now...”

When the centaurs didn't react, Elsa simply left, hurrying back to her classmates.

Harry and Hermione had already left, not allowed to stay after their exam, so Elsa came to stand by Ron.

“What was it?”

“He had a splinter. It's fine now.”

The next day, Astronomy was a breeze to Elsa, as was Arithmancy in the afternoon.

History of Magic was their last exam on Thursday. There was fortunately only the theoretical part.

It was quiet, safe for the scratching of quills on parchment. Umbridge and the examiners were there to observe them.

From time to time there was a clinking sound whenever Umbridge took another sip from her tea.

Elsa found it wasn't as hard as expected, just dry.

Suddenly there was a thumping sound outside. First it was very quiet, but it got louder and louder, until everyone was turning their heads to see what's going on.

Umbridge had her lips pressed tightly together, not happy at all. Of course she couldn't ignore such distractions and quickly left the hall to see what's going on.

They all watched her as she stood in the doorway. It was silent now, save for a small miniature firework that left them to wonder just what was happening. Who would dare to disturb the OWLs under surveillance of Headmistress Umbridge?

Seconds later the answer came flying into the Great Hall. Fred and George were on their brooms, both of them wielding their wands and burning all the exam papers.

There was a chaos, fireworks all over the hall. Soon everyone was standing up to watch this rebellious but wonderful act and started cheering for the twins. It was like their act of defiance broke the depression spell that's been over the castle ever since Umbridge took over.

The students watched in amusement as a huge firework-dragon appeared and chased Umbridge just outside the Great Hall, where it snapped and exploded in hundreds of little fireworks. All the educational decrees on the wall shattered on the ground and soon were trampled over by the fifth-years when they eagerly followed Fred and George outside to see them leave Hogwarts on their brooms.

No one paid attention to Umbridge, whose hair looked pretty burnt.

The relief was contagious and lots of other students came outside to watch the Weasley twins leave with a huge burning  _ "W" _ in the sky. 

Through all the cheering Elsa almost didn't notice how Harry suddenly became quiet and even fell down to the ground. Hermione saw it too and helped him up with Ron.

He informed them that he saw Sirius at the Ministry, being tortured by Voldemort because he wanted something from him.

They were having trouble keeping up with his frantic pace, Hermione tried to talk some sense into him. She was right, it could be a trap to lure Harry there, but if it wasn't they'd feel guilty for leaving him to be tortured.

It was a quick decision to change into their casual clothes first as they were more practical for their plan.

She had run into Luna, who insisted to come along. The younger blonde was a capable witch, so why not?

When they met up with the Gryffindors again, they had Neville and Ginny in tow. While it would be dangerous, if it was really Voldemort, it was probably better to come prepared.

With the only non-monitored fireplace being Umbridge's they had to get in her office again.

She was still distracted by the twins' latest firework, so that shouldn't have been a problem.

Unfortunately it was. They barely had entered the pink office, when the door burst open again by a furious looking Umbridge.

The Inquisitorial Squad was with her, and they had their wands pointed at Neville, Luna and Ginny, who had volunteered to keep an eye out for them.

Their own wands were confiscated, while Harry was bound to a chair in the middle of the eye-sore that was Umbridge's office.

Elsa bit the inside of her cheek with a frown. They didn't have time for this. If Sirius was really in trouble, every second counted.

Each of the Slytherins held one of them hostage, and while Pansy took great pleasure in stabbing her wand painfully to Hermione's neck, Draco was suspiciously gentle, his wand barely touching Elsa.

"You wanted to find Dumbledore, didn't you?!" Umbridge sounded quite hysterical as she questioned Harry.

"No!"

Elsa winced when her friend was slapped. She couldn't just manhandle him, there was no way this was okay!

Snape's appearance didn't bring any relief, he didn't stop Umbridge from interrogating a student.

Fortunately he didn't have any Veritaserum left, so Harry wouldn't be forced to tell the truth and endanger anyone any more.

The relief of that vanished completely when Umbridge announced she'd have to use different methods then.

Since the ministry's safety was at stake, she wanted to use the Cruciatus Curse.

"You can't do this! That's illegal!" Hermione was close to tears, flinching when Pansy jabbed her harder with her wand, but Umbridge didn't care.

"What Cornelius doesn't know..." She flipped the photograph of Cornelius Fudge so it was facing the table.

Elsa's heart thumped. It was unbelievable. Using an unforgivable curse on a helpless student!

They watched her lift her wand.

"Just tell her, Harry!" Elsa blurted out, not being able to help herself.

"Tell me what?!" Umbridge's gaze flickered from Harry to Elsa, her wand shaking in anticipation.

"If... If you don't tell her where it is, I will." The princess continued, not even sure what she was getting at. All she knew was that she didn't want Harry to be tortured.

The others were confused, but tried to hide it.

"Where  _ what _ is?!" Umbridge's shrill voice hurt their ears.

"Dumbledore's secret weapon." Obviously delighted, the dark beady eyes lit up.

Despite not having a weapon, it had bought them some time at least. Elsa and Harry were leading Umbridge into the forest, Draco following as a guard, wand raised in case of a escape attempt.

With them so close, there was no way for Elsa and Harry to think of a plan together. They didn't have their wands, after all.

The only thing Elsa could think of was Grawp. She didn't want to endanger the giant, in case Umbridge wanted to destroy the “secret weapon”, but what else could she do?

However, his place was empty. There were still all of his belongings scattered around, and the rope was laying on the ground.

Grawp had probably freed himself and was roaming through the forest on his own.

"Well? Where is this weapon?" Umbridge asked, a little out of breath from the long hike.

Elsa exchanged a glance with Harry, who could just shrug.

Umbridge shook her head in realization. "There isn't one, is there? You're trying to trick me!"

There was no way to predict what she was going to do to them, she was losing her mind.

Being hit with a torturing spell would feel horrible, and Elsa was sure she'd find out in mere seconds.

Draco grimaced, Elsa could practically hear him scold her inwardly for getting herself into this situation.

"You know, I really hate children."

“Never would've guessed.” If they were doomed anyways, she could go down with grace.

Umbridge humphed and raised her wand, but a snapping noise from the right interrupted her.

Centaurs, a whole herd of them. Without Hagrid around, they wouldn't tolerate any human in their territory.

"You have no business here! This is a Ministry matter." Umbridge told them after she took a few cautious steps back. She tried to sound powerful, but the slight tremble in her voice gave her fear away.

She had all rights to be scared. Hagrid had said that they were mad already after having been forced further back into the forest by the ministry.

Elsa wasn't sure they would make a difference with them.

One of the centaurs stepped up and shot an arrow without hesitance. Elsa was on so much on edge that she almost used her powers out of instinct.

Without their wands, she and Harry were defenseless, after all.

However, Draco was reacting fast and deflected the arrow before it could touch either of them.

Umbridge, despite her fear, was furious and flung a magical rope to the attacking centaur.

Elsa watched in horror as the rope wrung around his neck and started choking him.

He fell down the slope the herd was standing on, thrashing on the ground and tried to get the rope off.

Not being able to stand there any longer, Elsa knelt next to him and tried to help. The rope wouldn't budge, only pulled tighter.

“Please, make it stop!” Elsa begged, Harry now also pulling on the ropes. The centaur was getting weaker already from the lack of oxygen.

The plea was only met with a cold, sick and twisted expression. Umbridge was determined to choke the centaur to death.

Elsa felt like crying at such cruelty.

"Expelliarmus!"

Draco's voice rang out, his disarming spell flinging Umbridge's wand far away.

Immediately, the rope loosened, allowing the centaur to catch his breath again.

Umbridge looked ready to explode, but she could barely open her mouth before the rest of the centaurs were on her.

The three students stumbled out of the way as they picked her up and started to drag her thrashing body deeper into the Forbidden Forest.

"No! Tell them I am no harm!"

Harry looked coldly at her. "I'm sorry, professor, but I must not tell lies."

Elsa doubted the centaurs would've listened either way. They finally found a worthy outlet for their frustration, and probably wouldn't let a teenage boy spoil that for them.

Before the adrenaline had the chance to wear off, Harry tried to grab Draco's wand.

The Slytherin had a tight grip on it, and the two boys started to seriously fight for it.

Draco managed to push Harry away and pointed his wand at him, ready to hex him.

"Oh come on, would you guys cut it for a moment?!" Elsa stood in between them, meeting their glares.

“We just survived a centaur attack in the middle of the Forbidden Forest. Let's just get out of here, okay?”

She caught Harry's gaze. “There are more important matters right now.”

Catching on, Harry nodded began walking fast-paced back to the direction of the castle.

Elsa wanted to thank Draco for helping the centaur, but that had to wait. First they had to save Sirius. She made sure to stay in between the two boys, just like back then in their first year's detention.

They haven't gotten very far, when there was a strange high-pitched cackling sound. It sounded quite distant, yet the three teenagers quickened their pace.

The cackling reappeared, louder this time. There were dark shadows around them, forcing them to stop.

Hundreds of little yellow eyes belonged to the shadows, more cackling.

Draco, being the only one with a wand, came to stand in front of Elsa, not quite sure where to direct his wand, since there were so many of them.

“What are these?” Harry whispered, also stepping closer to the others.

“Erklings.” Elsa said automatically, warily eyeing the shadows.

She knew the Erklings in the Black Forest in Germany were able to speak human language, but these... Luna had the theory that they had created their own sign language.

A legend was that they ate human flesh. Elsa didn't want to find out if that was true.

* * *


	25. Chapter 25

* * *

"Do something, Malfoy..." Harry didn't dare to shout as he wanted to, as not to anger the creatures.

"What am I supposed to do, Potter?! There are too many of them." Draco hissed back.

Before he could cast any spell, a dart from the left hit his hand, and the wand landed a few feet away on the ground.

It was terrifying how fast the little creatures were moving. The wand was unreachable and the three of them had no other choice but run.

The sheer numbers were giving them an advantage, using it to herd them deeper into the forest.

Elsa tried to memorize their way, hoping they'd find back to the castle. If they survived, that is.

One of the worst things, Elsa found the time to think, was that they had absolutely no time for this.

Harry had seen Sirius be tortured by Voldemort, he was either already in the middle of it, or it could happen some time in the future... or it could be over already.

But instead of helping him, they were being chased around by human eating creatures, completely wandless.

"We have to get  _ out _ of the forest, not deeper into it!" Harry shouted over the awfully high-pitched cackling.

"Why thank you, Captain Obvious! I would turn around, but I don't wanna be eaten by these fucking mini-trees!"

It was impossible to change direction. Even the slightest curve would slow them down enough for the Erklings to catch up.

Without any real physical training – Quidditch doesn't really count since a seeker didn't really move aside from tilting around on the broom – they were pretty quickly out of breath.

A steep slope of boulders and thick roots was putting an end to their run. They would have to climb over it to escape, but there was just no time to do so.

There was a set of colorful curses coming from the boys. The cackling was surrounding them.

Elsa took a deep breath. She didn't have any other choice.

Determined, she let the ice tingle through her, throwing out her hands and freezing the attacking Erklings.

She was a little surprised at how well this worked. She had never used her powers to this extent, after all.

Still out of breath, her heart was beating uncomfortably against her rib cage.

"What the fucking hell was that?! You don't have a wand! It... It came out of your hands!" Draco's voice sounded almost hysterical, and combined with his expression it was a sight to laugh at, but laughing was the last thing on Elsa's mind under these circumstances.

Harry was strangely quiet, though the look on his face was one of utter surprise, too.

Elsa crossed her arms, hiding her hands. "Yeah. It's a long story. Can we please just get back to the castle?"

Without waiting for an answer, she started walking, making her way through the frozen Erklings.

“Y-You expect us to just go with _ice_ shooting from your _hands_?!”

“Look, it's imperative that you don't tell _anyone_.” She sighed, eyes trained ahead as they walked.

“I'm the daughter of Isabelle Flocon and the Spirit of Winter. That's why I'm so interested in it. She had to flee, I don't know why, and gave me to a muggle family. The king and queen of Arendelle.”

Elsa shrugged.

“I have no idea what happened to her. And I only found out in our third year. But since she's been on the run, it's likely I'd be in danger if the wrong people found out about my powers.”

It was silent for a few seconds. Elsa wasn't sure what to make of it.

"So... back in second year with the basilisk..." Harry started and Elsa cut him off by nodding.

"Yes. The wall that posed as a filter between Penelope and the basilisk, and in the Chamber of Secrets too. And the slide at the end of our third year when... you know.”

The reminder of Sirius made Harry walk faster again.

"I guess I can keep it a secret..."

Draco had been worryingly quiet, and Elsa didn't dare look at him. She didn't think he'd tell someone out of spite but she held his opinion highly.

There was a quick stop when he picked up his wand from the mossy ground, face still unreadable.

He followed them to Umbridge's office, where the rest of the Inquisitorial Squad was arguing wildly with the others.

They all quieted when Draco, Harry and Elsa entered the office without the headmistress.

"Umbridge is gone." Harry stated, leaving their friends to cheer.

The Slytherins were quite confused, staring at Draco. Being their unofficial leader, they waited for his instructions.

"It's true. Go to our common room. It's only a matter of time until the whole school hears about it." Draco spoke up and killed Pansy's protest with a glare.

Slowly and reluctantly, with deathly glares sent in the Gryffindors and Ravenclaw's direction, the snakes left the office.

The relief ended abruptly when Hermione tried to make a floo connection to the Ministry.

"It's not working!"

"But I thought the toad's fireplace would work...?"

"Where are you trying to go?" Draco was still standing by the door. He didn't seem bothered by the glares sent in his direction, eyes on Elsa.

"The Ministry. A friend's in danger." The princess informed him, glad he wasn't mad.

"The Ministry doesn't allow  _ any _ floo connections from Hogwarts or Hogsmeade. Umbridge was pretty pissed about it."

"Then how are we supposed to get to London?" Ginny asked the others.

Harry was the only one with a fast broom, as the school's broomsticks for first years were too slow. Not to mention the lack of flying talent in half of their group.

Elsa thought about using Buckbeak, but of course they couldn't all ride on him.

"What about the Thestrals?" Luna asked.

“But we can't see them.” Hermione threw in.

“Doesn't matter. Luna, Neville and I will help you. We gotta hurry!” Harry ran ahead, the others following.

When Elsa passed Draco by the door, the Slytherin held her back by her wrist.

"It's gonna be dangerous, isn't it?"

"I'm afraid so, yes."

"Is there anything I can say to make you stay and not risk your life for once?"

Elsa couldn't suppress a tiny smile. "No. It's a pretty good friend, and I could never forgive myself if something happened to him and I wasn't there to help."

He tried to return the smile, but it turned out quite forced. His mouth opened with no words coming out.

Remembering she had to hurry, and since it didn't look like Draco would speak up, Elsa began to leave.

The grip on her wrist tightened and Draco pulled her back, right into his arms.

The surprise was doubled when Elsa felt his lips press to hers. It wasn't by any means passionate, just a simple and gentle touch, that ended way too soon for her liking.

"Don't die, okay?" He smiled for real this time and Elsa couldn't help but do the same.

Instead of answering, she gave his hand a squeeze, before running off to catch up with the others so they wouldn't leave without her.

**xxx**

The others were already sitting on air, or well, on the Thestrals.

Luna helped Elsa climb one of them. It felt weird, there was nothing, yet she wasn't falling.

Once she was sitting securely, it was a lot like on a horse.

In the air, Elsa's thoughts wandered back to the kiss. It had been unexpected, but not unwelcome.

All this time she's thought Draco was just a friend, but her heart fluttering was definitely not because of friendly feelings.

She never expected her first kiss to be like this. Not that she had thought much about it, but most expected it would be all romantic, maybe under the stars or in the sunset.

Definitely not in an ugly pink room full of cat pictures after being chased by Erklings, while Sirius was in danger.

Strangely enough it had felt perfect, though.

Elsa had no idea where they would go from there. There was still the threat of Voldemort, for example.

They'd need to talk this out once she got back. They could make it work somehow.

It was already dark when they reached London and the Ministry.

They crammed into the phone booth, and just like back at Harry's trial, the automatic voice asked them about their reason of visiting.

The inside of the ministry was empty, giving it a rather creepy atmosphere. Their footsteps echoed in the huge entrance hall.

Harry seemed to be sure of where to go, leading them to one of the elevators and pressing the button for the Department of Mysteries.

There, they followed the main hall.

Left and right were numerous doors, through some of them were strange sounds audible. Elsa gripped her wand a little tighter, uncomfortable with the noises.

The black marble appeared to be swallowing their footsteps, as they made no sound walking over it. Very disturbing, indeed.

"Do you know where we're going...?" Neville asked, walking a little faster to match Harry's pace.

"Yes, it's where Ron's dad had been attacked. That door... It always appears in my dreams."

Ron had blanched a little when Harry mentioned his father's attack, but he toughly held his composure.

The door Harry had gestured to was at the very end of the hall. He only hesitated a moment before opening it.

It led into a seemingly endless hall. There were hundreds of tall shelves, that held dimly glowing orbs.

They were casting eerie shadows, even more so when the seven teenagers used _Lumos_ to see more.

Harry led them to a special row. "That's the place... He... He should be here..."

Since Sirius clearly wasn't there, it could mean two things. Voldemort had either brought him somewhere else, or it was a trap.

“Look, there's one with your name on it...” Neville's voice was quiet.

Harry hesitated before taking the orb. It looked like he was in a trance then, staring at the orb.

None of the others could hear or see anything, though.

Suddenly there was a sound from their left, startling them. A cloaked and masked figure had appeared and was approaching them.

The mask was altering the man's voice, it sounded like a thousand echoes when he answered Harry's question about Sirius' whereabouts.

They looked like those they've seen at the Quidditch World Cup the previous year.

Elsa's free hand flew to her mouth when the man waved his wand and the mask disappeared, revealing Lucius Malfoy.

She had known that he was one of Voldemort's lackeys, but actually seeing him now, here, in all his intimidating glory was making her stomach knot in dread.

Especially when he confirmed what they've already been suspecting: It was a trap.

Voldemort _wanted_ Harry to see him torturing Sirius, knowing he would come.

"...Now give me the prophecy, boy." He sounded awkwardly calm, which only made it creepier.

"If you come near us I'll destroy it." Harry warned, outwardly staying just as calm.

For a short moment, Elsa had thought they could get out of this unharmed.

Lucius was alone after all, against seven teenagers.

However, a hysterical female laughter made them jump. From the darkness, a straggly woman stepped up behind Lucius.

Elsa identified her as Bellatrix Lestrange, one of the criminals that had escaped during the mass breakout of Azkaban. Another faithful servant of Voldemort.

More cloaked figures appeared, surrounding the group in the middle. They were trapped.

Lucius was keeping a taunting Bellatrix at bay, stating he'd only want to talk to Harry.

Voldemort wanted the orb, which was holding a prophecy. And only Harry was able to retrieve it from the shelf, that's why he had lured him there.

Lucius started trying to talk Harry into giving the prophecy to him. He promised to tell him about his scar, why Voldemort couldn't kill him when he was just a mere baby.

However, Harry wouldn't let himself be persuaded. Following his lead, the others cast a few Stupors to distract the Death Eaters long enough to escape.

They were underestimating them, which was a big plus for the teenagers.

Of course they didn't give up and chased them. They had to split up.

Elsa was trying to be as quiet as possible as she slowly made her way through an aisle. Better if she saw the foe before being seen first.

Something caught her eye, completely coincidentally, making her stop abruptly.

At chest-height on a shelf, there was it. A glowing orb, which wasn't too weird as there were a million others. It was the parchment tagged to it.

_L.N. to I.F._

_Elisa-Marie Flocon_

If those orbs held prophecies, it meant there was a prophecy about her. She reached out for it, but a curse hit her hand and flung her wand away.

As quick as she could, she let herself fall to evade a red lighting, sending ice to the direction it came from and making the Death Eater slip.

More were approaching by the sound of it, she had to find her wand.

With every intention to get her prophecy once this was over, she quickly covered her orb with a thick layer of non-melt-able ice to protect it and find it easier later.

After grabbing her wand, Neville and Luna almost ran her over.

The three of them hurried away from the approaching Death Eaters.

In one of the bigger aisles, they met up with the rest of their group.

A mass of black smoke flew at them. Out of reflex, Ginny cast a powerful _Reductio_ , that caused a chain reaction and destroying the shelves.

All around them the orbs fell, white wisps emerged from them, vanishing at the top of the hall.

Hoping the ice would hold and protect her prophecy, Elsa followed her friends as they tried to flee from the death trap.

“To the door!”

With all the fog-like liquid and glass shards around, Elsa quickly lost her orientation. She and Luna had trouble running with these conditions.

The others already made it to the open door, vanishing into the dark next room.

Elsa found time to wonder why they didn't wait for them, or tried to shield them from the falling orbs.

With their pace they wouldn't reach the door in time. They would be crushed in mere moments.

Desperate, Elsa grabbed Luna's arm and froze the ground ahead from them, creating a slide towards the opening.

Sliding over it gave them the necessary speed boost to reach the door just before the shelves crushed over it.

Elsa had prepared for a crash to a hard marble floor, instead they were falling. There was no way telling which was was up and down, but Hermione's faint voice cast a spell that halted their fall just before they could hit the ground.

They had landed in a wide circular room. In the middle was a stone pedestal, holding a gate, or door frame.

Harry mentioned hearing voices, which Luna and Neville confirmed. Since the others couldn't hear or see anything, Elsa concluded it was the same as it was with the Thestrals.

“We have to leave, the Death Eaters probably also survived the crash up there.” Hermione urged when Harry seemed hypnotized by the gate.

The prophecy was still clutched in his fist as he stepped closer to the center and climbed the pedestal.

Hermione reached out to physically stop him, but the black smoke had found them.

Too fast for any of them to react, the Death Eaters materialized by them and again they were held at wand-point.

The adults were even more vicious than the Inquisitorial Squad had been back in Umbridge's office.

They probably wouldn't hesitate to just kill them if they moved.

While Lucius Malfoy was talking to Harry, using his friends as blackmail so he'd get the prophecy, Elsa thought about what to do.

Of course she could just freeze the floor, but her friends would slip too. Not to mention the accidental curses that could hurt them.

Her friends, aside from Harry and Luna, didn't know about her ice powers, so she couldn't even give them a sign to brace themselves or anything.

If she had practiced with her powers more, she could try to simply freeze the opponents. As it was, she was unsure if she was able to aim that well and react fast enough.

With Harry on the verge of giving in for their sake, Elsa figured she'd have to take the risk. If Voldemort was so set on getting that prophecy, she'd freeze hell over to prevent it.

But then, in a flash of white, Sirius appeared right behind Lucius. Simultaneously, more lights appeared, revealing Lupin, Tonks and more aurors.

They fended off the Death Eaters, Lupin shouted at the teenagers to just duck and keep out of it while there was a real battle of curses going on.

From their safe spot, Elsa tried to gauge the situation. It looked like the aurors were winning.

Harry had refused to get to safety and was fighting side by side with Sirius instead.

They were giving Lucius a hard time, and then suddenly a red lighting came from a completely different direction, hitting Sirius right in the chest and sending him falling backwards into the gate.

He didn't simply fall down on the other side, he just _vanished_ into it.

Harry's cry was heartbreaking. Elsa felt herself tearing up, too. If it wasn't for Lupin holding him back, Harry would've jumped in right after his godfather.

She couldn't believe it, in the matter of half a second, a man died.

Following Harry's furious glare, Elsa saw that Bellatrix Lestrange had been the one to kill Sirius.

Lupin tried to hold him back from charging at her, but Lucius demanded his whole attention then.

None of the aurors seemed to notice, or have time, to stop Harry from following the cackling lunatic witch out of the room.

“No...” Elsa didn't stop to think, she started running after them, dodging a few curses flung in her direction.

Couldn't he see that this was a trap? Bellatrix was trying to lure him away from everyone!

He couldn't think straight at the moment.

After what felt like an eternity, Elsa finally caught up with him, just as Harry tripped the Death Eater with a sloppily done _Crucio_.

They were back in the entrance hall.

Bellatrix looked up at Harry, as innocently as if she didn't just kill his godfather.

Harry pointed his wand at her, but hesitated.

Elsa came to stand next to him, torn. On one hand, she wanted to stop Harry, tell him to let the aurors take care of her.

But then... if she had killed one of Elsa's family, she wouldn't be able to hold herself back either.

She jumped at hearing a voice. It was more like a whisper at first, echoing in the hall. Then it became clearer.

It was edging Harry on, telling him to kill Bellatrix. That she deserved it, for killing Sirius.

"Harry..." Elsa touched his arm. She knew he didn't really want to become a murderer. He wouldn't be any better than her.

A gasp escaped Harry when suddenly a man appeared right in front of them.

His skin was sickly gray, he had no hair or nose, giving him a snake-like appearance. His eyes were of a creepy red, standing out against his gray complexion.

Harry tried to hex him, but the man simply disarmed the both of them with a flick of his wand.

From Harry's reaction, and the way the evil wizard talked... it seemed like this was Lord Voldemort.

Only having seen the younger version back in their second year, she hadn't thought that _this_ would become of him.

There was a quick glimpse of green to the right, Bellatrix had flooed right out of the Ministry to save herself.

"Harry, Harry, Harry... such a weak boy..." Voldemort taunted, shaking his head. The red eyes flickered to Elsa then, making her take a step back.

"Haven't you learned your lesson yet? You should know not to bring friends when you visit me... AVADA KEDAVRA!"

"No!" Harry made a move to jump in front of Elsa, but the green lightning was too fast and all the blonde could do was throw her hands up out of instinct.

A searing pain started from her palm, shooting up her whole arm to her shoulder. Her lip was bloody from how hard she bit down on it to keep from making a sound.

Her hands were shaking, breath coming in pants. She wasn't dead, was she? The killing curse hat undoubtedly hit her, and yet she was still alive.

Still in a shock, she let her arms sink. The sight that greeted her made her distantly wish she _had_ died.

Voldemort's grin had to be the most evil and scariest thing Elsa had ever seen. Having it directed at her was making her heart almost jump out of her throat.

“Now what do we have here...”

Harry was still in shock himself, from Sirius' death and Elsa's almost-death, unable to react aside from staring at his friend, who he had just witnessed _surviving a killing curse_.

If she wasn't so busy keeping her own sanity, she'd be worried for his.

Voldemort raised his wand again, but a sound from one of the fireplaces to the left startled him.

Elsa was beyond relieved to see Dumbledore stepping up to them. Voldemort appeared to be nervous, but acted rather tough.

An epic battle ensued, and Elsa only barely managed to get herself together enough to take shelter from the fight with Harry.

She rubbed her horribly aching arm, watching Voldemort create a huge snake of fire, which Dumbledore countered with water from the fountain.

Voldemort shattered all of the windows around them, viciously letting the shards attack them.

Dumbledore's shield pulverized them, so the teenagers were only showered in shard powder instead of being impaled.

The evil wizard seemed to realize he wouldn't win that night. He turned into the same black smoke the Death Eaters had used and flew right through Harry, before Dumbledore could react.

He fell to the ground, writhing as if in pain. His eyes glowed dangerously as Voldemort's voice spoke through him.

Harry managed to fight him out of his body, but it wore him out to the extent of passing out.

Voldemort materialized again, getting ready for another attack now that Dumbledore was distracted.

Again the fireplaces lighting up was interrupting him.

Minister Fudge, along with dozens of other Ministry employees, filed into the entrance hall, stopping in their tracks at the sight that greeted them.

Voldemort gave a roar and fled. There was no denying anymore that he was back. Not with so many witnesses.

Elsa looked at Dumbledore, no idea what to say or do. She hadn't even completely processed what happened.

“Your wands.” The elder wizard murmured to her before meeting the crowd.

Eager to comply and happy to have something to distract her, Elsa hurried to retrieve her and Harry's wands from the rubble laying around.

She had to use her left hand, since the whole right arm was still hurting.

Dumbledore answered one or two necessary questions, but blocked everything once they were asking about Harry and Elsa.

He refused to let them bring Harry into St. Mungo's. Instead, he was sure Madam Pomfrey would be perfectly capable in taking care of him.

The headmaster touched Harry and held out his elbow for Elsa to take.

Apparating made her arm flare up in pain again, it felt as if it was being ripped off.

Elsa didn't even have time to question how they had apparated directly into the hospital wing. It shouldn't be possible.

Their other friends were already there, a few bandages covering the minor wounds. They appeared to be fine, despite shaken.

Lupin and Tonks were there too, the former looking devastated.

With Harry still unconscious, her friends crowded Elsa for information of what happened.

The princess was still too shaken to answer properly. How was she supposed to come up with solid sentences when she hadn't even sorted out her own thoughts yet?

"I believe it's best if we leave Miss Winters to rest for a while and let Poppy take care of her first." Dumbledore's order was followed only very reluctantly.

Tonks was herding them out, at last.

Elsa was beyond grateful for it. The few minor cuts and scratches she had acquired weren't too bad. It was only her arm bothering her, but the pain was slowly fading already.

Madam Pomfrey was concentrating on Harry first, of course, since he was unconscious.

Lupin made Elsa sit on one of the beds, Dumbledore lowering himself on the one next to it to face her.

“Elsa, can you tell me what happened?” He asked calmly.

“Severus only said you and the others wanted to save a friend at the Ministry.” Lupin clarified.

The blonde took a few deep breaths to calm herself down and sort her thoughts out.

Snape couldn't have known about them going to the Ministry. The only way he could have found out was with Draco telling him.

“I...” Elsa shook her head. How much time had passed?

“Hermione said Harry had another vision.” Lupin supplied, a calming hand on Elsa's shoulder.

“Yes. He saw V-Voldemort torturing Sirius in the Department of Mysteries.” She nodded. She had to pull herself together now.

“So naturally he wanted to go and save him. But it was a trap, the Death Eaters ambushed us in the hall with the prophecies because they wanted Harry's.”

Lupin nodded, already having heard that part from Hermione. Dumbledore stroke his beard.

“We managed to flee to this room with the stone gate, where the aurors found us.”

“Sirius didn't make it.” Lupin's voice was quiet, devastated, as he said it. “Lestrange hexed him into the veil.”

Dumbledore appeared deeply concerned.

Elsa felt her eyes water at the reminder. She wiped at them with her handkerchief and nodded.

“Harry followed Bellatrix, and it was clear it was a trap, so I ran after them to stop him. She lured him to the entrance hall, and then Voldemort showed up and disarmed us.”

The headmaster's mouth had turned into a thin line. Eventually he stood up and walked over to the window.

“Remus, I'd fancy a meeting with the Order. In my office, as soon as possible.”

Lupin quickly left the hospital wing to gather up the rest of the Order.

“Poppy, let me know when Harry wakes up.”

“P-Professor, there's more.” Elsa needed to get this out now. It was not the time for secrets anymore.

Dumbledore sat on the other bed again, looking even older than he was.

"More?"

"He... he tried to kill me. He hit me with the Killing Curse."

The silver eyebrows furrowed deeply.

“The king and queen of Arendelle aren't my real parents. I've been adopted. I'm the daughter of Isabelle Flocon and the Spirit of Winter.”

Elsa took a moment to sort her thoughts again.

“I have powers over ice and snow.”

She created a snowball in her left hand, not being able to concentrate enough for anything more elaborate.

Dumbledore's eyes widened a fraction. He opened his mouth, but Elsa interrupted him. She needed to get this all out before her courage – or her nerves – left her.

“The curse hit my palm, but I'm still alive. He knows, Voldemort knows, I'm sure of it.”

Now that she thought about it, he hasn't appeared as surprised as he should've, given that the only one ever surviving a killing curse was Harry.

She was starting to assume that Isabelle could've been fleeing from Voldemort back then, the time would be appropriate. But if it had been him, why hadn't she stayed in Spirit World?

Dumbledore leaned back, looking worn and tired. Who wouldn't, Elsa thought, after such a battle, losing a friend, and now having a bomb dropped that there was a half-spirit in existence?

He was silent for a long while. “Alright. For now, try to stay calm and let Poppy treat your wounds. I will figure something out.”

“Sir, I... in the hall with the prophecies. There was one with my name. My real name. I have a prophecy. When we had to flee, I engulfed it with ice so it wouldn't be destroyed.”

Dumbledore gave a sigh, adjusting his glasses. “I will send Kingsley to retrieve it.”

Madam Pomfrey had no idea how to treat Elsa's arm. The minor cuts were easily healed with ointment, at least.

She put it in a sling so Elsa wouldn't move it too much and told her to get some rest after the princess had declined the Calming draught.

Elsa was dreading the time Harry would wake up. Sirius' death had hit him hard when it happened. Now that the adrenaline was gone he'd react badly.

She had barely left the hospital wing when she ran into Draco. Obviously he had been on his way to see her.

He was pale, but let out a sigh of relief when he saw her alright.

“Oh thank Merlin...” He breathed, stopping two steps in front of her.

“Your arm... Are you okay?”

"Draco..." There was so much they needed to talk about. So much to figure out.

But first he had to know about his father.

"I'm sorry I told Snape, but it sounded really dangerous, and-"

"Draco... It's... I..." She hesitated, not knowing how to tell him.

Minding the slinged arm, Draco pulled her into a hug. Elsa felt herself relax in the hold.

"Please don't tell me something beyond our control happened and we can't be together. I won't let you go, not after all this time." He mumbled into her hair.

Elsa used her free arm to pull Draco closer, breathing in his scent. It was weird how good this felt.

There was no way knowing how he'd react to the news.

“It's about your father.” She whispered into his robes.

Reluctantly, he loosened his hold so he could look down at her.

"My father?"

"At the Ministry. He and other Death Eaters attacked us. They killed Harry's godfather. And they wanted to kill us too. Draco... your father tried to kill me." Again she felt tears well up in her eyes.

The Slytherin's jaw dropped a little, eyes appearing to be glossing slightly. He opened his mouth, but Elsa continued.

"Aurors showed up to help us. There were dozens of Ministry workers then. I... I don't think he escaped..."

Draco paled even more, which shouldn't be possible. There was a storm of emotions raging inside of him, visible in his silver eyes.

He wasn't able to speak yet, and Elsa didn't know what to say to console him.

“I'll let you digest that...” She said, not able to meet his eyes anymore. “I... uhm. I still need to talk to the others...”

Elsa turned around to make her way to find her friends, but she barely made two steps before arms wrapped around her from behind.

“No. Elsa... I'm sorry for what he tried to do. He deserves to rot in Azkaban for it. I... I don't care, okay? All I care about is you.”

His grip tightened.

“You have all rights to be mad at me, but... please...”

“Draco...” Elsa turned around in his arms.

“We'll figure this out. When we're seventeen we can go wherever we want. We'll start our own life somewhere the Dark Lord will never find us, and-”

Elsa ended his babbling by boldly pressing her lips to his. She had to get on her tiptoes, but that was worth it.

It would never work out like that. He had still his mother, and Elsa had her family in Arendelle.

Still, it was sweet that he would just abandon his past and wealth to be with her.

“We both know it won't work like that.” She finally said. “We still have two years ahead of us, and with V-”

“I don't care. We can make it. We'll face everything fate throws our way if it means we can be together.”

Elsa couldn't help but smile. She reached up to rest her healthy hand on his pale cheek. “We can make it.” She repeated.

And to make it possible, they decided to keep their relationship a secret for the time being.

It was just too risky.

If Pansy found out, there was no doubt she'd tell Voldemort, just out of spite. And Draco even wanted to keep Blaise out of the loop, in case Voldemort was planning on diving into his followers' minds.

While Blaise's mother wasn't in his inner circle, it was a possibility he'd call the Zabinis in too.

After the happenings in the Ministry, the Gryffindors wouldn't be too keen on the idea of Elsa dating the enemy's son.

So they restored to meet in secret, in honored Myrtle's bathroom. She was quite supportive, even volunteering to keep an eye out for intruders.

Harry's had a long talk with Dumbledore, and after that he was strangely calm.

It was a relief for his friends. After all that happened, working through Sirius' death was a dreaded feat.

It had taken quite some time to retrieve Elsa's prophecy from the mess. According to Kingsley Shacklebolt, the whole hall was crashed. Filled with shards and white liquid, they needed to clean everything up and save the not broken prophecies.

With the ice surrounding her orb, Elsa's prophecy was easily found by the auror.

Harry's told them he had heard his prophecy when he held the orb, so Elsa figured it would be the same for her.

The question was, was she ready to hear it?

“Mine was pretty cryptic.” Harry said. “Dumbledore said it's important in our fight against Voldemort.”

“I doubt that my prophecy is of the same importance.” Elsa stared at the frozen orb.

They were sitting outside under the shade of a tree.

With Umbridge gone, Dumbledore had taken back his rightful place as headmaster. The sacked teachers, Trelawny and Hagrid, were back.

Since they had finished their OWLs, they had free time the last few days of the term.

Dumbledore had insisted that Elsa would stay at The Burrow with Hermione. Harry would have to go home to his aunt and uncle and get to the Weasleys later.

While Elsa didn't want to stay away from her family, she understood that it was better to not endanger them.

If Voldemort was after her now too, he could try to get to her through her family. Under the shield, they were safe at least.

She worried about Draco, too. He would have to go home, where undoubtedly trouble awaited him. After all, his father had royally failed his mission, and had managed to get himself in prison.

And there was no way they could stay in contact.

“Aren't you curious?” Ron shook his head. “I'd want to know if there was a prophecy about me.”

“I am.” Elsa sighed and rubbed the crease between her eyes. “But what if I don't like what it says?”

“It could be important for the future.” Hermione threw in. “I mean, it is for sure. With you being half spirit...”

“Bet you regret being so dismissive of Luna now, hm?” Harry teased, giving a weak smile.

“If I had known there was proof, I would've listened.” Hermione blushed slightly.

Elsa traced the words on the tag. “I wonder who L. N. is...”

“A seer, probably.” Both Hermione and Elsa gave Ron a deadpan look.

“Really, Ronald?”

“... It could be it's in french. And I'm not that good yet.”

The Weasley straightened his back from where he was sitting, eyeing Hermione for a second. He waited, but for once he knew something Hermione didn't.

“A prophecy is always in the language the one it's about can understand. If Harry had been raised speaking Spanish, he would've heard it in Spanish, even though Dumbledore heard it in English.”

Elsa blinked. “Wow, that's actually pretty neat.”

“Magic, duh. Now come on, it's almost lunch time.”

Sighing, Elsa thawed the ice, faintly amused by her friends' reactions. She was glad she didn't have to hide from them anymore, at least.

Biting her lip, she braced herself before taking the orb. The silvery smoke inside it swirled, the distant breathy voice of a male echoed in her head.

“ _The one will be born on the longest night, under the waxing moon. They shall be gifted with powers never before seen and stronger than any that have been before. And they will serve as the annex between the Spiritual Realm and the Realm of Being. They shall be known by uniting all species and serving as their arbitrator. For they shall take their rightful place as the protector of nature and shall take vigil over the fons iuvetae.”_

* * *


	26. Chapter 26

* * *

“ _The one will be born on the longest night, under the waxing moon. They shall be gifted with powers never before seen and stronger than any that have been before. And they will serve as the annex between the Spiritual Realm and the Realm of Being. They shall be known by uniting all species and serving as their arbitrator. For they shall take their rightful place as the protector of nature and shall take vigil over the fons iuvetae._ ”

Elsa was curled up on her cot in Ginny's room, Marshmallow snuggled up to her and purring contently while the blonde was absentmindedly stroking her soft fur.

From the open window a breeze was stirring up the muggy air contained in the small room.

Hermione and Ginny were outside, trying to get some sun before they'd be copped up inside again.

Voldemort's official return brought quite a hassle into the Wizarding World, and also in the muggle world. Chaos, Death Eater attacks, kidnappings.

Fudge lost his position as Minister of Magic, a man named Rufus Scrimgeour having taken over. Luna was sure he's a vampire.

There were lots of new rules and security measures, which were to be followed by everyone. One of them was to stay inside after dark, generally to only leave the house if absolutely necessary.

It was like being locked up in her room in Arendelle all over again.

Only this time she didn't even care. Ever since hearing her prophecy, Elsa was busy pondering over everything.

It wasn't that hard to decipher. Born on the longest night, under the waxing moon. Winter Solstice, her birthday.

Gifted with powers never seen before. Her ice powers, of course.

The annex, a bridge, between two worlds. Uniting all species. She was a mixed breed, as she had already figured out a few months prior.

Part human/witch, part spirit, even partly creature with her veela heritage.

That wasn't hard to understand at all. What was giving her a headache was the rest.

Arbitrator between the species, for example. What was that supposed to mean? It's not like she could represent a species or anything, or end wars between them.

And protector of nature? _How_?

The final part, with no doubt, was referring to the youth fountain the trolls had talked about.

It was strange. Back when she had still been with Isabelle, she couldn't have known that the magical pond exists, and more so, she couldn't have known only the royal family would have access to the enchanted forest.

Unless Isabelle _had_ known, and given her to the trolls on purpose, to fulfill the prophecy.

With the fountain supposed to be a secret, Elsa had decided to not share the whole prophecy with her friends. Only the first part. It didn't quite make sense without the second part, but Elsa wasn't quite ready to come clean yet.

She had written to Madame Maxime, asking if she knew of a seer with the initials L. N., but so far she hasn't gotten an answer yet.

As if the confusing prophecy wasn't enough to occupy her mind, she really missed Anna and her foster parents. While she was assured they were all safe under the shield, she'd feel better if she could protect them herself.

However, Dumbledore deemed it too dangerous with the distance, so she had to obey.

And the greatest worry was her boyfriend. They had bade their goodbyes in the privacy of Myrtle's bathroom, neither knowing what awaited Draco at home.

With how his father had messed up his mission, Voldemort was bound to be furious.

There was no telling whether he would take it out on Draco and Narcissa, though it was likely.

After finally becoming a couple, she didn't want to lose him again. They had known it would be difficult, but to fear for his well-being that much... it was killing her on the inside.

There had been a short bout of happiness when Fleur Delacour was visiting. She was engaged to Bill, which was a surprise, and wanted to get to know the family a little more.

While Molly, Ginny and Hermione avoided her like the plague, Elsa was grateful for her presence.

Fleur was distracting her by helping her with her French, and Elsa returned the favor by teaching her a little more English. That, and helping in the household, was the only thing keeping her sane.

One morning, Elsa received a note from Dumbledore. Hermione had been on edge, every single day awaiting the owls that would bring their OWL results.

The headmaster wanted to meet Elsa that night around eleven. The note only stated that he required her assistance with something.

It was strange on so many levels, though Elsa tried to not dwell on it so much. She would find out soon enough.

Maybe it had to do with her powers. He had listened to her reciting the prophecy with interest, though deemed it not relevant for the more pressing Voldemort matter.

“Fleur, could I ask you something personal?” Elsa asked the quarter-veela.

She had insisted on preparing dinner that day, probably wanting to gain a few bonus points with Molly.

Elsa was eager to help her.

“What is it?”

“How... How do you know Bill really likes you, and is not only charmed by the veela in you?”

Her cheerful humming stopped as Fleur frowned at her. “Why do you ask?”

Elsa shrugged, playing with the knife in her hands. “I was just wondering. If I ever get a boyfriend, I'd want to be sure he likes me for who I am, not because of my veela blood.”

She had always wondered, ever since suspecting Draco liked her like that, if it was because of her veela part. Having another to talk to was a chance she wouldn't get that soon again.

Fleur tilted her head, thinking about an answer.

“It's hard to explain. I just _know_ he really likes me, and I like him. It has to be true love, you know?”

“But what if you only think you know because you _want_ it to be true love?”

Fleur appeared rather perturbed at that. “Did Mrs Weasley tell you to ask me that?”

“What? No!” Elsa hurried to placate her. What had Molly said to her to make the french girl be so suspicious?

“I was just... wondering.”

“Is there a boy you like? Is it Harry? My petite Gabrielle won't shut up about him.”

Elsa shook her head, hiding a blush with a laugh. “No, not Harry.”

“Don't you worry, your veela allure isn't strong enough to influence the boys. Mine's not that strong, either.”

Thinking about Ron's glossed over eyes every time he was in the same room as Fleur, Elsa begged to differ, but wouldn't say so out loud. The last thing she wanted was to be cross with Fleur.

“Hm. Oh, do you, by any chance, know anybody with the initials L. N.?”

“L and N? Uhm...” Fleur paused waving her wand to magically peel potatoes. “A girl from Gabrielle's year is called Lila Nonté... but I can't think of anybody else. Why?”

Elsa heaved a mute sigh. It had been a long shot anyways. “There's this prophecy, and I only know that-”

“Ah! Our Voyance professor is said to be a true seer! Louis Narole.”

“Of course!” Eyes wide, Elsa let the knife sink completely.

It made sense. Trelawny had made multiple false predictions about her students, especially Harry, and apparently had bouts of true visions.

Chances were high that something like this happened with Isabelle too with her own Divination professor.

**xxx**

A few minutes to eleven, Dumbledore awaited Elsa just outside The Burrow.

The headmaster didn't waste any time on explanations, just asked how she was doing, and held out his elbow for her to take.

They apparated to a street Elsa's never been to before. The houses were looking all the same, and in the moonlight they had an eerie glow.

“Where are we, sir?”

“Ah, I thought you'd like to accompany in picking up Harry. You have your wand with you, I assume?”

Elsa pulled out her wand from its usual spot in her left sleeve.

“That's what you need my help with...?” She asked, not quite sure if Dumbledore was serious.

He just gave a grandfatherly smile and started walking to a special house.

“Patience, Elsa, patience.”

Frowning, she followed him. She wasn't too keen on meeting Harry's uncle and aunt. From all the stories she heard about them, at least, they wouldn't be too happy being disturbed at this late hour.

Her expectation of Harry coming outside to meet them was thwarted by Dumbledore simply ringing the doorbell.

While it was a perfectly normal thing to do, still it looked alien, seeing this old and powerful wizard ring a doorbell like a muggle would.

Almost immediately there was screaming coming from inside the house. Eyes wide, Elsa jumped a little when the door was pulled open with such force it should've been ripped out of its hinges.

She was pretty sure this was Harry's uncle, big and round, red-faced and walrus-like, with a bushy mustache.

Seeing Dumbledore in his long black robes and pointed hat was surprising for him. Next to him, Elsa looked like the nice girl next door.

Apparently Harry hadn't thought to inform his family of Dumbledore's visit. That didn't stop the wizard from inviting himself in, past a speechless uncle.

The poor muggle didn't know what to say.

Elsa hurried to slip inside too, staying a step behind Dumbledore, who used his wand to shut the entrance.

"It is a long time since my last visit... I must say, your agapanthus are flourishing."

A sound from the stairs on the right made Elsa look up. Harry was standing there, wearing an amused grin. The blonde smiled up at him, and their headmaster also acknowledged him.

“Ah, Harry! Good evening!” He greeted him as if he was a grandfather coming over on Sunday for tea.

These words brought Harry's uncle back to life. He was about to _politely_ throw them out, when Dumbledore simply interrupted him, also greeting the aunt and nephew.

“Petunia, am I right?” He asked, even though Elsa was pretty sure he knew exactly who he was talking to. “And this must be Dudley!”

Dumbledore smiled widely, even though nobody was answering him.

“Now, let's just assume you kindly invited me into your living room, hm?”

There was a vein on Harry's uncle's forehead, that grew with every word Dumbledore said. His face turned to interesting shades of purple. He glared at Harry, before following the wizard into his precious living room.

The Gryffindor and Ravenclaw exchanged a shrug, having no idea what the old man was up to.

The Dursely's living room reminded Elsa much of Umbridge's office in style. There was nothing shrilly pink, but everything looked overly neat, frilly and old-fashioned.

Dumbledore looked even more out of place in there.

“Sir, I thought we were leaving?” Harry spoke up from where he and Elsa were standing in the doorway, by far not as bold as the adult.

“Soon, Harry. There's just a few things we need to talk about. And in dangerous times like these I'd rather do so inside.”

He waved his wand, forcing the family to sit on the flower-patterned sofa.

Elsa took the second cushioned armchair when Dumbledore gestured at them to take a seat, with Harry getting comfortable on the armrest.

Apparently they found Sirius' last will. Of course he gave everything to Harry, including Grimmauld Place 12, but they had to test if it really belonged to Harry now.

They were assuming a problem with the Black bloodline.

Since Kreacher, Sirius' old house elf, was forced to follow Harry's orders, they were able to confirm that he was the rightful owner of the house, and therefore they could continue using it as headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix.

Harry hasn't been done packing yet, so he hurried off to finish it, so they could leave as soon as possible.

It was a rather uncomfortable silence. Dumbledore was humming a happy tune, oblivious to the awkwardness.

Vernon Dursley was glaring at the both of them.

“Oh, before I forget it...” The elder suddenly stopped his humming and turned to face their unwilling hosts.

In all cold politeness he let them know that he knew of them mistreating Harry for all his life. With him turning seventeen the next year, he'd only need to come back there one more time.

There was an underlying threat in his voice that surprised Elsa. She hadn't thought Dumbledore could be hostile.

He didn't wait for them to confirm anything and was already standing up when they heard Harry coming down the stairs with his trunk and Hedwig's empty cage.

Just outside the house, Dumbledore simply waved his wand to transport Harry's things away, probably to The Burrow.

“They would just hinder us on our next stop.”

Harry gave Elsa a questioning look, but the blonde could only shrug. None of them had an idea where Dumbledore wanted to take them.

A little wary, they held onto him again and were pulled into the next Apparition.

“Sir, what happened to your hand?” Harry exclaimed when they got their footing again.

Elsa hadn't even noticed that the headmaster's right hand was completely blackened, as if burnt.

“That's a story for another night.” He waved them off. “Take out your wands, we better be careful.”

Sometimes getting a straight answer from Dumbledore was as impossible as Hermione not knowing the answer in a quiz.

Heaving a sigh, Elsa took in their surroundings. It was a village, appearing more traditional than Harry's neighborhood had.

The headmaster led them through a few side streets, giving the two teenagers time to wonder what they were doing there.

There was no plausible reason to them. What could he need their help for?

The village's bell tower startled them when it signaled midnight.

Dumbledore entered a seemingly random house. It appeared rather nice and posh from the outside, but the inside looked as if a storm had raged.

Furniture was thrown over and broken, photographs and books littered the floor, even an expensive looking chandelier lay in shards.

There were blood splatters on the ceiling.

“Horace?” Dumbledore called out to the empty house.

Elsa wondered who this Horace was. It certainly looked like he wasn't there.

However, the elder wizard seemed to have noticed something. He poked a lilac colored armchair, which giggled and turned into a man so abruptly Elsa stumbled backwards over some rubbish on the floor.

Harry managed to catch her before she fell, both of them wide-eyed watching the armchair-man.

He was an elder man, as thick and round as a pumpkin. A bushy mustache covered his upper lip.

From his conversation with Dumbledore, they gathered he had been hiding from Death Eaters.

“Harry, Elsa, this is my good old friend Horace Slughorn. He was a professor, a long time ago.” Dumbledore introduced them to him.

“Horace, I assume you know who this is.” He gestured to Harry.

Slughorn gave a smile, barely visible under his mustache. “Of course, Harry Potter. It's a pleasure.”

His eyes flickered to Elsa. “And this young lady...?”

“This, my dear friend, is Crown Princess Elsa of Arendelle. Another student of mine.”

Elsa forced herself to keep a straight face. Why would he use her full title in front of this man?

“Crown Princess? A _real_ princess?” Seemingly impressed, Slughorn did a small bow.

Playing along, Elsa nodded her head in acknowledgment. She had no idea what Dumbledore was getting at, but would have to trust him and play her part.

There was no real point to their smalltalk, Elsa noted, which was unfortunately not giving them any more information to what was going on.

The two old wizards decided to clean the house Slughorn had destroyed in his frantic try to hide, using their wands to repair everything in seconds.

With the lights back on and cleaned up, the living room was indeed very fancy.

As if he had no worries in the world, Dumbledore excused himself to the bathroom.

“Don't think I don't know why you're here, Albus! The answer is still no! _No!_ ”

Not quite knowing to react, Harry and Elsa just awkwardly stood there. Apparently Slughorn knew what Dumbledore wanted, but didn't want to give it to him.

The walking pumpkin appeared a little uncomfortable being left alone with the teenagers.

“You look a lot like your father, Harry. But your eyes, they're exactly like-”

“-My mother's. I know.”

Having heard the comparison as often as Harry had, Elsa could understand his weariness.

Slughorn didn't seem bothered, and led them over to a set of photographs on the fireplace's mantle.

He talked about how he had taught Lily Evans, how she had been among his favorite students. Incredibly talented, despite being muggleborn.

Elsa recognized some of the people in the photographs, having seen them in the Daily Prophet.

She pointed one of them out, a high position Ministry worker. Slughorn was eager to tell them about him and other students he's favored.

It wasn't hard to see a pattern there, Elsa thought. One of them had become the Captain of a famous Quidditch team, giving free tickets to Slughorn whenever he wanted them.

Another worked for the Daily Prophet and would do anything Slughorn asked him to, including inside-scoops.

“Minister Fudge was quite intimidated by Elsa.” Harry pointed out, making it hard for Elsa to refrain from kicking him.

He clearly favored surrounding himself with students that had a promising future ahead. Elsa was starting to get the reason why Dumbledore had wanted them to come along.

The old man could be pretty shady.

Speaking of Dumbledore, he was coming back from the bathroom then, holding up a magazine about knitting patterns.

“Can I keep this?”

“Uh, of course, of course! But you... you don't want to leave already, do you?”

“I know when a fight is lost, Horace. It would've been a triumph to have you back at Hogwarts. But of course I understand if you'd rather wander around.”

Elsa tilted her head. “You're a very brave man. Few would take the risk of being a runaway, when they were offered shelter in the most secured place there is.”

“You two would've benefited greatly from his wonderful teaching skills, too. However, you heard him. His answer is no.”

“A pity, really.” Elsa played further, dropping a small curtsy. “Goodnight, sir.”

Harry was beyond confused waving as a goodbye and quickly following Dumbledore outside. The front door closed behind them.

“What's going on?” He asked once they were alone.

“Would you mind, Elsa? I assume you figured it out?” Dumbledore appeared absurdly amused, possibly even proud.

“You want Mr Slughorn as a professor. And since he likes to surround himself with promising students you thought a princess and the chosen one would be able to convince him.”

“Indeed.”

Elsa frowned, glancing back at the house. “But it didn't work.”

Dumbledore's smile was all-knowing. A second later, the front door burst open again, revealing Slughorn, calling after them that he would come back, under the condition of a wage raise.

Harry and Elsa looked at Dumbledore, quite disbelieving. When they apparated to just outside The Burrow, the headmaster spoke to them again.

“Now listen, getting him to accept was only step one of my plan. I will need your help again.” He waited for the two teenagers to nod.

“I want you to stay close to him. He will want to get you two into his club, as trophies. That's the next goal.”

Of course he wouldn't give them an explanation, Elsa had expected that.

The following morning, Hermione and Ron were questioning them about their trip with Dumbledore.

They were wondering why Dumbledore wanted Slughorn especially, and why the two of them were supposed to be getting into his good graces.

However, the conversation was cut off when four sleek black owls arrived, carrying an envelope each. Their OWL results.

Hermione was shaking like a leaf, while Ron and Harry also appeared rather nervous. Especially with the rest of the family watching them.

Elsa was strangely calm, but that was mostly because she knew her career wasn't at stake. Her education was on a way lower range compared to all her other problems.

She took her time opening the envelope.

_Transfiguration: -O-_

_Herbology: -A-_

_Potions: -A-_

_History of Magic: -O-_

_Charms: -O-_

_Astronomy: -O-_

_Defense Against the Dark Arts: -O-_

_Care of Magical Creatures: -O-_

_Ancient Runes: -O-_

_Arithmancy: -O-_

She was admittedly quite surprised she passed Potions. The practical part had been a catastrophe, but apparently the theory had been good enough to let her pass.

Relief was dissolving the tension from the boys, both of them happy with their results.

Divination and History of Magic they both failed, but other than that they weren't bad at all.

Harry admitted he was a little disappointed that he wouldn't be able to continue Potions, since he needed it for becoming an auror, but at least he got acceptable marks.

Hermione was beyond herself with disappointment, it was clear to all of them, still she denied it.

She had only Outstandings, with the exception of DADA, where she got Exceeded Expectations. She should've been proud of herself, yet she looked close to tears.

While the rest of them celebrated with a big breakfast, Hermione excused herself to sulk.

**xxx**

Draco was at loss, his feelings a mess when he rode the train home.

Part of him was bursting with happiness and pride, because he was finally together with Elsa. The girl that haunted his dreams ever since their third year.

Having to keep it a secret was alright for him, as it was making things easier for the time being.

Though he would've enjoyed rubbing it into Potter's and Goldstein's stupid faces, and whoever else dared to crush on _his girlfriend_.

He kind of wanted to tell Blaise, too. However, that would have to wait until they were back in Hogwarts. _If_ , Draco thought with trepidation, he survived the summer.

That brought him to the reason his stomach was feeling like it was filled with a bunch of burning coals, that threatened to jump up through his throat.

His mother hadn't written to him since the news of his father being sent to Azkaban. It was quite unusual for her, and that could only mean one thing. That Voldemort was not happy with them.

Bellatrix had been able to get away from the aurors, Elsa had said. And naturally his aunt was staying with her sister. Being Voldemort's most loyal lackey was more curse than blessing.

Everything going on in Malfoy Manor would be reported to the Dark Lord immediately because of her.

It was a long shot, and Voldemort would have no way of knowing, but Draco was terrified that he would find out it was his fault the Ministry plan had failed.

If Draco hadn't told Snape, who – without a doubt – informed the aurors, the Death Eaters would've succeeded and his girlfriend could be dead now.

If Voldemort knew, he would be dead as soon as he stepped a foot in his home.

He couldn't even discuss his fears with his Slytherin friends. Crabbe and Goyle's fathers had been arrested too, but they haven't been in charge of the mission. Not to mention their incredible thickness.

And Pansy didn't even show a little bit of sympathy, even dared to say her own father would've succeeded. She assumed he was so important to the Dark Lord that he hasn't been sent on the mission.

She clearly lived in her own dream world, completely detached from reality.

Blaise's mother hasn't been in contact with Voldemort yet, so his best friend was a little out of the loop.

With nervous fingers, he kept touching his now bare wrist. He had taken off the friendship bracelet as a precaution. It was tucked away in his Potions book, until he could go back to Hogwarts.

That way he could always say it was just a bookmark.

Back at Malfoy Manor, Draco took a few deep breaths and schooled his expression before entering.

His aunt was the one greeting him, causing his stomach to flip unpleasantly. Where was his mother?

It was the first time he met her, since he's been a mere baby when she had been arrested back then.

Forcing himself to not show his terror, he greeted her as if she hadn't tried to kill his girlfriend.

Bellatrix had a cold aura around her, regarding him as if he was scum. She gestured for him to follow into the dining room. Draco felt like throwing up. Had the manor always been so small?

Despite his fear, relief hit him when he saw Narcissa sitting at the table, rather uncomfortable between Voldemort's inner circle's Death Eaters.

There were clear holes in their rows, where his own father and the rest of the Ministry gang should've sat. He knew Snape should've been there too.

At the head end of the table, Voldemort was sitting in all his terrifying glory. His red eyes were gleaming in the light, face unreadable, while the present Death Eaters were glaring at the newcomer.

“Draco, my dear boy. Have a seat.” The chair on the other end of the table moved with Voldemort's gesture.

Swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, Draco complied. Bellatrix kept standing somewhere behind him, guarding the door as if he would just bolt.

He had half the mind to.

It was quiet for a while, which felt like an eternity to Draco.

“Now,” the Dark Lord finally spoke up, “after Lucius managed to fail his mission so _disastrously_ ,” Draco and Narcissa flinched, “what, my faithful servants, do you deem a proper punishment?”

His light tone was betraying the gravity.

“Death!” One of the Death Eaters on the right yelled. He wore an evil grin and looked absurdly euphoric at his own idea.

There was a lot of agreement coming from the rest.

“Tempting, yes. But...” Among the group arose murmurs of confusion. Of course they would have to die. Why was their leader hesitating?

“I think I'm feeling gracious today.”

Narcissa gasped shakily, her trembling hand resting on her chest.

“My Lord, Lucius-”

“Just because Lucius is an incompetent fool, doesn't necessarily mean Narcissa and Draco are too, am I right?”

Draco was beyond relieved, though he didn't dare hoping yet. He was sure they wouldn't be let off the hook that easily.

Murmurs rose, most of the Death Eaters wanted to see them dead. It angered Draco beyond everything. However, his attention was recaptured by Voldemort rising from his seat.

The murmurs ended abruptly when the bald man casually walked towards Draco.

Tensing up, the teenager hardened his features.

“However, I got to be sure that your loyalty lays with me.” He came to a stop behind the blond. “Are you loyal to me, Draco?”

The boy almost jumped at the feeling of Voldemort's wand on his shoulder.

“O-Of course, my Lord.”

The tip of the wand was traveling from his right shoulder to the left, as if Voldemort was tracing an invisible pattern.

“Faithful enough to take the Dark Mark?”

Narcissa's head turned so quickly she imagined hearing it snap. Her sweet little boy, a Death Eater? He was only sixteen!

“Yes.” Draco didn't have any other choice. If he declined, he and his mother would be dead within seconds.

“Very well. Bellatrix will take care of it later.” The woman nodded eagerly, happy she was trusted with such an important task.

“Now that we took care of this unpleasant matter, I'd like to inform you all that the plan has changed.”

Bellatrix sat on the empty chair next to her nephew, looking up at her master with wide eyes.

“My Lord, we're not going after the boy anymore?”

Draco was stiff, trying not to move with the Dark Lord's wand still on his shoulder.

“That's still top priority.” Voldemort assured her. “However, the failure at the Ministry brought new information to light. Harry Potter has a powerful being at his side. One that I must admit is even more powerful than I am.”

Draco felt his throat tighten, his sweaty hands trembling where they rested on his lap. He knew. Voldemort knew Elsa was half spirit.

Surprised calls roared up, and Draco tried to mimic the disbelieving face of the others. He mustn't draw attention.

“I know, unbelievable, yet true. A little girl, too.”

The hairs on the back of Draco's neck stood when Voldemort's wand tickled him there.

“Must be around your age, Draco. Anyways,” he said, trying and failing to appear carefree, “I want her captured and brought to me.”

“Alive, master?”

There was a pause, Draco assumed he was smirking.

“Preferably.”

From his tone, Draco was sure he was amused. That wasn't a good sign at all.

“Say, boy, what can you tell me about Harry Potter's blonde friend?”

Never ever before in his life had Draco been as grateful for something as he was for Snape's Occlumency lessons. Shielding every memory that showed his feelings for Elsa, he hoped there were enough left so Voldemort wouldn't be suspicious.

“Er... her name is Elsa Winters. Ravenclaw, muggleborn. Pretty smart.” Draco listed off, feeling Voldemort push into his mind.

“Close friend of Potter.”

“Indeed.” The evil wizard paused, the push lessening after a few strenuous moments when he withdrew, going back to his seat at the opposite end of the table.

“I have a special task for you, Draco. The rest of you can leave for now. Avery, I wish your presence at the Zabini house in an hour. I've got a feeling we've been disregarding two wonderfully capable servants.”

Draco was sure his face would've drained of all color, had there been any left.

**xxx**

After a few weeks of being copped up and practically restrained to The Burrow, it was a relief to finally be able to go to Diagon Alley.

With Harry there, things had lightened up a little. At least one less thing to worry about.

When their lists for Hogwarts had come, Harry found out he's been made captain of Gryffindor's Quidditch team.

It had put him in a better mood, eager to play in the Weaselys' garden. He tried to talk Elsa into participating, but the blonde had immediately refused.

Sticking close to Fleur was taking care of the problem.

A Ministry car took them all to the Leaky Cauldron. Despite the murky weather and the unknown future ahead of them, with Death Eaters roaming around freely, Elsa was excited to get back to Hogwarts soon.

She was begging whatever deity there was for Draco's safety. She wouldn't know what to do if he's been killed.

The fear for his life was like a huge block of ice inside her chest, and not the kind she's learned to handle over the years.

It was surprising her, in a way. Harry had been in mortal danger for years, and yet she hasn't worried to that extent about him. With Draco, it was a different level, new to her.

Suppressing a sigh, she settled for fiddling with the charms on her bracelet hidden under her sleeve. It would be fine. It had to.

Hagrid was awaiting them by the Leaky Cauldron, as a security measure. It was good to see him again, his wounds had healed nicely.

Grawp had been brought somewhere else, he wouldn't tell them where, but he was happy. And that was the only thing that mattered.

Diagon Alley had changed drastically. The once colorful street now seemed gray and deserted. There were plenty of Ministry posters plastering the shops' windows; security instructions, warnings and wanted posters everywhere.

A few wizards and witches were hurrying, pulling their children along as if they'd be attacked any second. The sad thing was, it wasn't that far-fetched.

To sum it up, Diagon Alley looked sad. Just like Hogwarts had when Umbridge had taken over.

Seeing this once wonderful place fall apart from the inside gave Elsa an ache in her chest.

She was glad when Molly urged them to hurry up. This was a sight she wanted to shove into a dark corner of her mind.

To save time, they split up. Elsa wanted to look into Flourish and Blotts, but Hermione stated she wanted a girl's advice on a new dress.

Since she had qualified for almost all classes, her shopping list was holding every class's required books. She just had to decide what NEWT classes to take.

So Elsa circled the few books she'd need and scribbled a few additional ones.

She only had a year left until she'd turn eighteen, and still hadn't found a way to get out of a magical binding contract without one of the signers having to die.

Hagrid had decided to wait outside of Madam Malkin's, as the witch wouldn't be too happy if the half-giant threw over all of her clothing stands.

Harry and Ron were quick to pick new robes, having Madam Malkin take measurements, while the girls were in the dress section.

“What do you think of that one?” The brunette asked, holding a deep red dress under her chin.

“Mh, a little too bold for my taste. Maybe a darker shade...” Elsa shrugged as she held up a wine red one. “... but it's a little heavy. For the winter months it would fit.”

“I don't know when I'd wear it yet... hm.”

“What about this one?” Elsa held up a soft pink knee-length dress, with fluttery short sleeves.

“Perfect for warmer months. And when you combine it with...”, she handed the dress to Hermione and rummaged through another few hangers, coming up with a gray bolero and a black ornate belt, “this, you can wear it casually in the cooler months.”

“I was thinking of a little more festive occasions.” Hermione shrugged, but smiled as he looked at herself in a nearby mirror with the dress.

“We could ask Madam Malkin to lengthen it, and I'll look for a shawl or something to combine it with. A nice updo and necklace, perfect.”

“I knew it was a good idea to ask you.” Hermione smiled.

Elsa chuckled and left Hermione to browse the stands further back, while she went to look for a shawl to go with the dress.

When she passed the changing rooms on the other side of the shop, she stopped dead in her tracks.

Narcissa Malfoy was sitting in an armchair there, thumbing through a magazine.

Did that mean Draco was there, too?

Carefully, as not to attract attention to herself, Elsa walked backwards.

Who knew what she's been told? Her husband was in Azkaban, because of a handful of teenagers.

For all she knew, the woman could hold a grudge against her.

Elsa almost squeaked in surprise when she was suddenly pulled behind a curtain of a stall.

If it wasn't for the familiar presence, she would've frozen her attacker already.

As it was, she recognized her boyfriend, who held her face in his hands as if he couldn't believe seeing her there.

The relief was dizzying, Elsa couldn't help but dive into the warm chest, wrapping her arms around his shaking form and relaxing into the strong embrace.

“Are you alright in there, darling?” Narcissa's voice called out, distractedly. Apparently she's found an interesting article.

“Yes, mother. I need a few more minutes.”

She didn't respond, they only heard a page of the magazine being turned.

Elsa could feel Draco's heart racing and tightened her hold on him.

“Are you okay?” He asked, reluctantly pulling back to look at her.

“I'm fine. What about you? Did he-”

“I'll be alright. I hope.” He shook his head, looking worn. “Listen, I'd feel a lot better if you didn't come back to Hogwarts.”

Frowning, Elsa opened her mouth to protest, but Draco cut her off.

“He's after you. I don't know how much he knows, but he said it. He told his Death Eaters that he wants you.”

Elsa felt her heart plummet into her stomach, mouth going dry. Spirits were only a legend to the majority of the wizarding world; there was no way he knew about her origin.

What could he want with her?

“D-Draco, I can't stay away.”

He ran a pale hand through his hair, messing it up. “I was afraid you would say that.” He gave a humorless huff of laugh.

“Can you at least promise me to not take any risks? No jumping into crazy adventures with Potter this year, okay?”

Feeling completely out of touch with the world, Elsa nodded. “I promise.”

“And... stay away from Blaise.”

“What does he have to do-”

“Draco? Do you need help, maybe?” Narcissa's voice sounded closer now.

The Slytherin cursed mutely. “No, I'm done. I'll be out in a second.”

There was shuffling as Narcissa moved further away. Draco grabbed Elsa's face and pressed his lips to hers shortly before leaving the stall.

He distracted his mother, making her look into a different direction so Elsa could leave undetected.

The relief that Draco was alive and fine was darkened by the new information. Voldemort was after her.

Just thinking about the creepy man left her with an unpleasant cold shiver. Why was he after her? Because he couldn't kill her? What did he expect?

The more she thought about it, the more she worried.

She must've looked as bad as she felt, because both Ron and Harry went into protective mode when she met up with them.

Before she could even open her mouth, her friends had spotted the Malfoys by the changing rooms and came to the wrong conclusion.

“Did he hurt you?” Ron asked, the both of them already drawing their wands.

Draco had noticed them, of course, silver eyes narrowing when he saw the wands.

“No.” Elsa hurried to say, crossing her arms. “Put your wands away, you're drawing attention.”

Of course they didn't listen, which led to a small argument. Elsa was relieved that Draco didn't seem to put much effort into it.

The girls did their best to calm them down, until the Malfoys just left with a few snide remarks, as if it wasn't worth the fuss.

Elsa refrained from scolding her friends. They were just high-strung and protective, as always lately.

When they arrived in Fred and George's new shop twenty minutes later, they had a good distraction from the incident.

It was a popular shop, so full with students you could barely turn around without stomping on several feet.

The twins had managed to shut out the depressing atmosphere, creating a safe and cheerful place to forget one's worries and just laugh.

It should've been easy to get lost in the numerous wonderful joke jinxes and so on, still Elsa had troubles focusing on anything.

Her stomach was doing unpleasant flips continuously, making it hard for her to put on a mask as not to worry them any more.

She was just looking at a few little creatures that were labeled as Pygmy Puffs, when she was elbowed by Harry.

“What?”

"Hey, I just saw Malfoy running around all alone. I bet he's up to something. Come on, we're investigating!"

_ No jumping into crazy adventures with Potter this year, okay? _

"Uh... I'd rather stay here. And  _ you _ should, too. It's dangerous running around alone, especially for you." 

"I know he's up to something, and he doesn't want anyone to know. Fine, you don't have to come, but Ron, Hermione and I are going. Don't rat us out." Harry whispered heatedly and squeezed his way through the crowd, pulling out his invisibility cloak.

Elsa rolled her eyes, noting Hermione and Ron looked just as reluctant as she felt.

* * *


	27. Chapter 27

* * *

When they were finally on the train, Elsa was glad to have proper distraction.

Since Diagon Alley, Harry was set on the idea that Draco was planning something big.

It was like some sick obsession. He was even stating to be sure Draco had taken the Dark Mark and became a Death Eater.

Elsa had opted to tune him out then. She couldn't know for sure that it _wasn't_ true, at least until she could ask her boyfriend. And even then it was likely Draco couldn't tell her about it.

She wasn't even sure she _wanted_ to know if he's really become a Death Eater.

On top of her own load of worry, she didn't need anything more Voldemort related to drag her down. Especially if it concerned Draco.

With her friend obsessing over Draco, he wasn't bothering Elsa at least. The Ravenclaw felt like a ticking time bomb, about to spontaneously combust with worry.

It didn't help that her boyfriend had been so cryptic. What had Blaise to do with everything?

The Prefect meeting had gone by smoothly, with Pansy being quiet for once. She was observing Draco with what could be classified as worry. And that, in turn, was scaring Elsa.

Did Pansy know something about her boyfriend? Was he still in danger?

Unfortunately they had to keep up the charade of ignoring each other, so she couldn't talk to him as freely as she wanted to.

She watched the two Slytherins saunter off towards their compartment, not even glancing at the bustling first years that played with one of Fred and George's jinxes.

Hermione glared after them and confiscated the suspicious firecracker. The first-years laughed when it gave a loud pop and began whizzing with sparks, almost burning Hermione's hand.

“How do you stop them?!” The brunette yelled at Ron, who only shrugged, blinking at the wildly spinning cracker on the ground.

“No idea! Fred and George didn't tell me how!”

Elsa pulled out her wand as a decoy and used her powers to simply freeze the thing, extinguishing the flames immediately.

“Did you see that? A non-verbal spell!” One of the first-years whispered to his friend, shrinking at the glare Hermione sent them.

“Off to your seats. Now. You're lucky you're not sorted into a house yet.”

Intimidated, they hurried off.

“Kids these days...” Ron commented, hunching up his shoulders at Hermione's withering stare.

“We should keep an eye out. Some of those jinxes are way too dangerous.”

“Dangerous is a little exaggerated, don't you think?” Anthony said, picking up the frozen firecracker and examining it.

He blinked at Elsa. “You've already learned using non-verbal spells?”

The blonde shrugged. “Just this one.”

“You wanna come sit with us? The others and I are quite curious to what happened at-”

“Thanks for the offer, Anthony, but I'm gonna sit with my friends.” She averted her gaze. “Anyways, we better go find Harry.” She waved him off, making her departure.

It was only the start of a load of questions on their search for Harry. Students from every house and year stopped them for details on what happened at the Ministry.

Staying vague and dismissive, they hoped it would stop sooner than later.

Hermione and Ron telling Harry that Draco was neglecting his prefect duties was like burning a stack of fireworks. He was immediately jumping back to his conclusions and conspiracy theories.

It gave him a manic appearance.

Luna was a receptive audience for them, listening to him rant and nodding every now and then.

However, she refrained from denying or agreeing, only gave vague comments that left Harry frustrated and confused.

It amused Elsa to no end. Luna was really special.

Around lunch time, Elsa, Harry and Neville received an invitation from Slughorn. A nice private lunch in his carriage.

Elsa was by far not in the mood for the professor, and for a moment she thought about using her Prefect duties as an excuse to not attend. However, Dumbledore had asked them to stay close to him, so she'd have to soldier through it.

At least she wasn't alone.

Aside from the three of them, there was also Marcus Belby, a seventh-year Ravenclaw, and Cormac McLaggen, a seventh-year Gryffindor.

Ginny gave them a small wave from where she was trapped between the window and Slughorn, and Blaise appeared spooked, not daring to look in Elsa's direction.

With how much space Slughorn was taking up, Harry, Neville and Elsa squeezed on the opposite bench next to Marcus.

The new professor greeted them overly excited, wasting no time in doing a little introduction round and starting to hand out various foods.

He asked Marcus about his popular uncle, and when the Ravenclaw stated he wasn't in contact with him at all, Slughorn lost interest in him, moving on to Cormac instead.

It was so painfully obvious that he was only interested in people he could gain something from. Like Dumbledore had said, he was a collector. 

Ginny apparently had hexed a student with an advanced spell, which had impressed Slughorn. Neville's parents have been successful and admired aurors.

Blaise's mother was said to be strikingly beautiful and gained her fortune by marrying rich wizards, who all died mysteriously, leaving her with loads of gold.

Elsa just hoped he would keep quiet about her royal status. While she didn't particularly care about that secret anymore, she didn't want a fuss.

Fortunately he only passed her some fruit, before moving on to Harry.

She was pretty sure this was the longest lunch ever. It was hard not spacing out during the boring and uncomfortable chatter.

Slughorn surely wasn't a bad guy, but his whole attitude was grating on Elsa's nerves.

As if she didn't have enough to worry about already.

Sometimes she caught Blaise looking at her, only to avert his gaze immediately when she did. He seemed very troubled, which was completely different from his usual composure.

_Stay away from Blaise._

Draco would've had a reason to warn her.

When it was clear Slughorn intended to keep them there for the rest of the train ride, Elsa stood up.

“Thank you for the kind invitation, professor. However, I need to fulfill my prefect duties now.”

“Ah, of course, ever the responsible prefect! Must be in her blood!” He laughed.

“Have some juice, Harry!”

Harry, in the middle of following Elsa, stopped in his tracks and lowered himself in his seat again. He didn't have a believable excuse at the ready, unfortunately for him.

He sent Elsa a glare, to which she couldn't help but laugh behind her hand, waving teasingly as she walked off.

When she saw Draco, probably on his way to the restroom, she had to fight not to smile involuntarily. Lately he seemed to have this effect on her.

The corners of his mouth twitched ever so slightly, but he kept his stony and arrogant expression on as he bumped into her, slipping a piece of parchment into her hand.

“Watch where you're going, Winters.”

There was no heat behind it, and just for show Elsa glared after him. On her way back to her friends, she stole a glance at the message Draco gave her.

_Bathroom date before dinner?_

She couldn't help but grin, hiding it behind her hand. Despite the threats looming over them, the grave situation in general, she felt giddy. The ball of barbed wire in her stomach was cushioned by butterflies.

When it became dark and the lights came on, Elsa began to wonder where Harry and Neville were. Did Slughorn really keep them that long?

They had already changed into their school robes and finished their last patrol through the aisles of the train when Neville came back.

He had no idea where Harry was, he had just vanished.

Elsa exchanged a meaningful look with Ron and Hermione. He definitely ran off with his invisibility cloak. Undoubtedly getting in trouble.

They just hoped he wouldn't get himself killed with his recklessness.

Their worries reached a whole new level when they left the train and there was still no sign of Harry.

They lingered by the station, wondering where he was.

Pansy and her gang, along with Blaise, passed them, but Draco was not among them.

It was too much a coincidence. The two of them missing was not a good sign, not at all.

Elsa voiced her thoughts when she sat with her friends in one of the last carriages.

“He wouldn't be stupid enough to confront Malfoy, would he?” Ron waved their worries off, though he kept looking back to the train.

Just as they rounded a corner, Elsa caught a glimpse of Draco stepping out on the station. Still no sight of Harry.

The Ravenclaw bit her lip. Her boyfriend wouldn't gravely hurt Harry, would he?

Elsa excused herself when they arrived at the castle, making her way to Myrtle's bathroom.

The ghost girl was happy to have some company, lamenting how boring the summer was without anyone around.

Draco arrived shortly after, closing and locking the door behind him. He didn't waste any time engulfing Elsa in his arms, burying his face in her hair.

She returned the hug, closing her eyes. Knowing they didn't have that much time before the feast would start, she pulled back enough to look up at him.

“What's going on with Blaise? Why do you want me to stay away from him?”

“ _He_ was there, invading his thoughts.” Draco said, face paler than usual. “Blaise wasn't able to talk about it, like I can't about my own mission...”

He shook his head when Elsa opened her mouth to question this special mission.

“We didn't have that much time to talk in private, but he confirmed that it has to do with you. I can't stress this enough: Stay away from him.”

“I appreciate the concern, but there's not much I can do. Or well, what _he_ can do. The only thing I can promise is to not follow him into a broom closet or anything.”

“That's a start. Look, I need to talk to him first when we're alone, without any noisy spies around.”

Elsa nodded, absentmindedly adjusting his collar. “About your mission...”

“If I tell someone, _He_ 'll know.”

“Does it have to do with Harry?”

“No.”

There was a haunted look in his silver gaze, not reassuring Elsa at all. She gently touched his cheek, Draco leaning into her hand.

What else could Voldemort want from him?

“Can you promise me something, too?” She asked then.

“Whatever you want.”

“Promise you won't become a murderer.”

His eyes widened a fraction, and Elsa wondered if Voldemort really told him to kill someone. That would be suicide. And if it wasn't Harry, who else was there?

“I...” he hesitated, averting his gaze.

Determined, Elsa made him look at her again. “Please, Draco. I don't want you to do something you'll regret and that will haunt you for the rest of your life.”

His silence dragged on for too long. Elsa wasn't sure whether it was her own heart or his that she heard thumping wildly.

“You might want to hurry, the feast is about to start.” Myrtle's voice rang out, startling both of them.

Draco pressed a kiss to Elsa's forehead before wiping at his eyes. “I promise.”

In the Great Hall, Elsa was surprised to see Harry hadn't appeared yet. She exchanged a worried look with Hermione and Ron by the Gryffindor table when she sat down by Luna with the Ravenclaws.

Since the fifth year prefects would take care of the new students, Elsa at least didn't have to worry about that.

The Sorting passed without trouble, leaving Elsa to space out.

From her boyfriend's reaction, it was clear Voldemort had indeed ordered him to kill someone. But that was ridiculous.

Here in Hogwarts, with so many witnesses and Dumbledore's protection, he couldn't do it. It was a kamikaze mission.

The door opening grabbed her attention then. Harry was coming in, looking grim and bloody-faced. Elsa's eyes widened. What happened?

He hurried to his friends by the Gryffindor table, all the while glaring darkly at Draco.

Elsa frowned as she followed his line of sight. Had he really done this?

“What do you think happened?” Luna asked, wonder displayed on her dreamy face.

“I reckon he had a confrontation with Draco...”

“A one-sided confrontation it seems.”

Elsa nodded, frown dimming a little after Hermione had magically cleaned his face. It didn't look too bad anymore. He didn't seem hurt otherwise.

Not long after Harry had sat down, Dumbledore gave his annual speech.

The wards around Hogwarts have been strengthened, the security measures have been stepped up too, which was expected and relieving to most of them.

He announced Professor Slughorn as their new Potions teacher. There were confused frowns all around the student body.

“Professor Snape will take over Defense Against the Dark Arts.”

From the Gryffindor table came rather loud exclamation of _“No!”_ , which Elsa was sure Harry was the culprit of.

Overall were murmurs, voicing their skepticism.

Was DADA really worth it, with Snape teaching it? If she followed her original plan of becoming a lawyer, she'd need DADA.

Dumbledore simply talked over the quiet protest, stressing that the Forbidden Forest was off limits and that nobody should roam around alone, especially after curfew.

After the feast, Elsa had wanted to hang back to talk to Harry to find out what happened, but was stopped by a few second-year Ravenclaws, demanding her attention.

The next day at breakfast, Elsa kept spacing out. She had to wait for Flitwick, for her new timetable. With Luna already gone for her first class, Elsa sat alone, observing the rest of the occupying students.

Draco had left as soon as Snape was through with him, not staying back to wait for Blaise.

The other Slytherin was back to his composed self, though ignoring the rest of the students in the hall, including Pansy.

Harry was waiting for Ron to be done too, not in a hurry to get away.

She's had more than enough time to choose what NEWT classes to take, and had the required OWL results for them, so it shouldn't take too long.

“Ah, Elsa. Here we go...” He pulled out her folder from a portable wagon that drove magically alongside him.

“What a pleasure to have you continuing with Charms!”

Elsa smiled at his enthusiasm. Of course she wouldn't drop one of her favorite classes.

“Astronomy, nice. Minerva will be delighted to have you back in Transfiguration, too.” He tapped the parchment with his wand, filling the blanks.

“Arithmancy is gonna be a rather small class this year...” he mused.

“I can imagine.”

“Hehe. Most of them are Ravenclaws.” Flitwick adjusted his glasses.

“Ancient Runes, alright. Defense Against the Dark Arts... Ha, I must say, I was delighted to hear you were able to cast a Corporal Patronus!”

Elsa shrugged with a smile. “Lupin taught Harry and me in our third year, so we could defend ourselves against the dementors.”

“Unbelievable.” Flitwick grinned fondly. “Oh, Care of Magical Creatures...” he frowned.

“Is there a problem, professor?”

“Well, it seems you'd be the only one continuing that class...”

Elsa blinked, glancing at the Gryffindor table, where Ron was receiving his timetable from McGonagall.

“Nobody else?”

“No. This is most curious.”

“It's possible to continue with it anyways, right?”

“Oh, I'm sure Hagrid would love to teach you about the creatures either way.”

Elsa nodded, a thoughtful expression on her face. “I will talk to him, we'll figure something out.” 

“I'm sure you will.”

Since Elsa hadn't chosen more classes, she was surprised when Flitwick didn't just hand her timetable over already. She wanted to ask her friends about Hagrid.

“Erm. Professor Slughorn was asking me about you during breakfast. He appeared devastated.”

Elsa pursed her lips, hoping this wasn't leading to what she thought it was. “I only barely got an _Acceptable_ on my OWLs, professor.”

Not that she _wanted_ to take Potions.

“That's what I told him. He was sure you must've been intimidated by Professor Snape all these years, and with so many _Outstanding_ s, there has to be lots of hidden potential.”

Flitwick shook his head. “He wanted me to let you know he'd gladly let you continue with only an _Acceptable_. He was pretty persistent I'd let you know that.”

Trying to keep her face straight, Elsa answered. “I appreciate the offer, sir. However, I don't see myself as a brewer.”

“Hehe, I expected that.” Flitwick babbled about something Elsa didn't catch, since she felt a gaze on her.

Frowning, she caught Dumbledore staring at her from the staff table, as if trying to communicate telepathically.

Catching on, Elsa inwardly groaned and barely refrained from thunking her head on the table.

Of course. How could Slughorn take her into his club if she wasn't even in his class?

“Uhm, professor, I think I changed my mind. If Professor Slughorn is so gracious to let me continue, I should take the chance.”

It pained her to say this, already loathing the mere thought of being back in the dungeons, but if Dumbledore needed her to, she didn't have another choice.

“Are you really sure about this? You never were fond of Potions, and NEWT level is a whole different matter...”

“What's life without a little challenge?”

“There's an Advanced Arithmancy course if you seek a challenge, and an Apparition course. And my choir is always open to new students.”

He held up a few leaflets.

Elsa took the one about Advanced Arithmancy and looked it over. “I'll think about this one. But Apparating feels horrible, and I'm not that much into singing.”

She sighed. “And I still want to give Potions a chance.”

“Well, if you're sure...” Flitwick tapped the timetable a final time, handing it over.

Elsa was already regretting her choice. She was already late for Ancient Runes, though she figured Professor Babbling would understand since she had to wait for her timetable.

That was probably why Hermione had run off as soon as she had her own timetable.

On her way to the classroom she took her time to examine the rest of the day. After Runes, it was DADA with Snape. After lunch, a double dose of Potions.

She'd die before the day ended. A pity, really.

After a cut short Ancient Runes lesson that ended with loads of homework, she and Hermione met up with the boys in front of the DADA classroom.

There were many, daring enough to continue even with Snape as their teacher.

“Here, let's compare timetables.” Ron and Harry pulled out theirs, comparing them to the girls'.

Instead of Astronomy Tuesday night, Hermione had Herbology. Aside from that, they were pretty much the same.

The boys had two classes less, having taken the bare minimum of five classes.

“Potions? You?” Hermione frowned. “But you only had an _Acceptable_.”

“Dumbledore wanted me to. Because of Slughorn.” Elsa shrugged.

“So, why aren't any of you continuing with Care of Magical Creatures?”

The three Gryffindors averted their gazes, all looking in different directions.

“It's just not a necessary class.” Hermione shook her head. “You've seen how much work we got for Runes, it's gonna be the same for the other classes.”

“Did you at least talk to him?”

“Not yet. But we will, after classes.”

Elsa wanted to disapprove, but she couldn't even blame them. She would've done the same, probably. When had she become so cowardly?

Then, as if being slapped, she remembered what should've been her very first question all along.

“What happened yesterday?”

Harry glared at a group of Slytherins, Draco among them. Blaise was trying to talk to Draco, who ignored him.

“I used my invisibility cloak to spy on Malfoy in their compartment. He found out, stunned me and broke my nose.” Harry shook his head, glare not faltering.

“If it hadn't been for Tonks finding me I would've driven all the way back to London.”

Elsa blinked. The spying sounded like Harry, but had Draco really broken his nose? Then again, why would Harry make something like this up?

She didn't quite know what to say, so Harry was encouraged to continue.

“I totally overheard him telling his friends about a special task Voldemort gave him, that he's gonna be busy. He doesn't intend on coming back to Hogwarts next year.”

Harry had a smug expression, while Ron and Hermione rolled their eyes.

“Again, Harry, he probably just wanted to impress Parkinson. I guess he finally understood that Elsa's not interested and takes the next best choice.”

“Are you implying Pansy is the next best thing?” Hermione raised a brow.

“For him? Yeah. Who else would take that git?”

Elsa was glad that Snape arrived then and ushered them into the classroom.

Things were changed drastically, compared to the previous year. For one, all the curtains were drawn, giving the classroom a depressing atmosphere. Grotesque paintings were hung on the walls, showing injured and tortured wizards and witches.

The uneasiness spread in the students as they sat down, none of them daring to speak up when Snape began his lesson.

If it hadn't been for the lack of steaming cauldrons, it could've easily been a Potions class.

Snape took his time enjoying his new position, letting them know how surprised he was that so many of them had managed to land in his NEWT class.

After he was satisfied lowering their spirits, he set them to work immediately.

They were supposed to learn using non-verbal spells.

Hermione stuck to Elsa when they were told to split into pairs, which the princess was grateful for.

Anthony had observed her and probably would've asked her to be his partner.

She glanced at Draco, contemplating whether she should give him a warning about Potions. But the Slytherin was successfully ignoring her, only snapping something at Pansy.

It wasn't as hard as Elsa had expected. Back then in her second year it had been harder, but that wasn't advanced magic for nothing.

Hermione had managed to disarm her, Elsa returning the favor a minute after.

Of course it went upraised, Snape not even acknowledging them.

Instead, he concentrating on Harry, making a show of hexing him non-verbally and instead being hit himself when the teenager blocked his hex by casting a shield, practically screaming the incantation.

It was giving Snape the excuse he didn't need to fully round up on Harry. And of course, instead of just letting it be and swallowing his pride, the Gryffindor had to talk back to him, earning himself a Saturday's detention.

As if wanting to punish everyone for Harry's attitude, the class received another huge stack of homework.

“Totally worth it.” Ron said as they sat in lunch later.

Hermione shot him a dirty look. “I'm glad you think so. I'll remind you of that when you come to me for help with the homework.”

“It's DADA, with Dumbledore's Army last year we're ahead of everyone.” Ron rolled his eyes.

“You _do_ realize it's not your only class, right?”

Harry was distracted, eyes trained on the Slytherin table. “Hey, Malfoy's not there.”

Elsa glanced over too, biting her lip. He was skipping lunch?

Blaise was also missing. Perhaps they were having a talk...

“Harry, he can't do anything in Hogwarts. The security-”

“A Death Eater was able to come inside with the use of Polyjuice Potion. So much for security.”

“This is different.”

Heaving a sigh, Elsa concentrated on her own plate. Harry's obsession was already getting on her nerves. It didn't help Draco was fueling that fire.

She had thought that being Quidditch Captain and Dumbledore's request with Slughorn would keep him busy enough.

After lunch, Elsa dragged herself along with her friends down to the dungeons.

Maybe she'd be allowed to sit this one out, since she didn't have any supplies.

“McGonagall said we can borrow stuff from Slughorn.” Ron supplied, squashing Elsa's hopes.

In front of the classroom, it wasn't a surprise to see there weren't nearly as many students as expected.

Elsa counted four other Ravenclaws, Anthony among them, one Hufflepuff called Ernie Macmillan, and two Slytherins.

A frown appeared on her face. Wasn't Draco taking Potions too?

As if having heard her, Draco and Blaise arrived. What was going on with them?

“I just know he's planning something.”

Elsa jumped at Harry's hushed voice right next to her ear. He probably assumed she had been glaring at them too.

Before she could tell him to drop it already, the gigantic pumpkin that was Professor Slughorn opened the door and called them inside for the first Potions class that year.

Forcing herself not to cringe at the happy greeting she and Harry received from Slughorn.

Her friend didn't seem to mind sticking close to him, but she wasn't too keen on it.

Elsa placed herself between Harry and Hermione. They just had to help her through this, or it would end in a catastrophe.

Next to the tables, three cauldrons have been placed, filled with different draughts.

One looked like mud, single bubbles bursting at the surface. The other seemed like plain water.

And then there was the one closest to their table. The steam was coming in spirals from it. The mother-of-pearl sheen was giving it an appetizing appearance, especially compared to the mud water next to it.

But what really stood out was the scent. Elsa felt herself relax back in her seat at the smell of pine trees and burning candles. There was another scent mixed in, one she couldn't quite place. Something along the lines of sandalwood and bergamot.

It was as if her worries were put on hold, her chest felt as light as it hadn't in ages.

She was quite curious to what this wonderful potion was. Why hadn't Snape ever taught them something like this, instead of those icky draughts?

Slughorn asked if anyone could name the Potions, and Hermione's hand shot up immediately.

While she described the mud as Polyjuice Potion, Elsa felt eyes on her.

Draco's confused expression awaited her. Of course he'd be surprised to see her in an advanced Potions class.

Since she couldn't answer him verbally, she gave a minuscule nod towards Slughorn and shrugged one shoulder. They could talk it out later, before dinner.

Hermione explained that the wonderful scent came from Amortentia, the strongest Love Potion in existence. Of course it couldn't create real love.

It smelled different to each person, taking the scent of whatever attracts the person most.

It made sense. Pine trees reminded her of home, the days she spent outside playing with her sister in the snow. Good old times. The comforting scent of burning candles, whenever she couldn't sleep.

She wasn't quite sure why she seemed to favor bergamot or sandalwood, but that was a question for another day.

Elsa wouldn't mind learning to brew it, only to be able to sniff it constantly.

Slughorn was visibly impressed by Hermione's knowledge, praising her and making her blush vividly.

Especially when she could name another Potion that was standing on the professor's very own desk.

The tiny cauldron was filled with golden liquid, drops jumping like fish on the surface.

Felix Felicis, also known as liquid luck.

For the day's lesson, they were to brew the Draught of Living Dead. Whoever managed best would receive a bottle of the luck potion. That was the best incentive, though Elsa would've loved a bottle of Amortentia instead.

Not that she'd be able to win either way.

With the permission to use the books and instruments in a cupboard, Ron, Harry and Elsa went to work.

They were quite shabby, but at least Elsa's temporary book wasn't full of scribblings, like Harry's.

She just began, following the instructions best she could, in hopes of not blowing anything up accidentally. She took her time, it was a lost cause anyways.

It was relieving to see she wasn't the only one struggling with the complicated potion. Even Hermione's didn't quite work out the way she wanted.

Harry was doing surprisingly well.

“Since when are you that good at Potions?” Elsa whispered.

Her friend put his book in between them. “I'm following these instructions. Whoever did it knew what he's talking about.” He tapped the chicken scratch scrawl next to the recipe.

“Try it, it works.”

Figuring it certainly wouldn't hurt, Elsa continued by also following the different instructions.

In the end, Harry had brewn a perfect draught, with Elsa a close second.

“This guy, the Halfblood Prince, is a genius.” Harry grinned as they put away their things.

“That's cheating.” Hermione was quite miffed that Harry won the Felix Felicis.

“I was following the instructions in the book. Just not the same as you.”

Hermione glared at him and walked off.

Harry rolled his eyes and shouldered his bag after safely tucking his bottled luck away.

Waving him off, Elsa smiled. “Go ahead, I have to talk to Slughorn.”

“You're not ratting me out, are you?”

“Of course not. As long as you keep sharing.”

Grinning, Harry followed Ron out of the dungeons.

Once Elsa was the only one left, she walked up to Slughorn's desk. There was a reason she was in this class, after all.

“Professor, I just wanted to thank you for allowing me to continue with Potions.” She smiled, hoping it didn't look as forced as it felt.

He laughed loudly. “Nothing to thank me for, your highness.” Slughorn nodded his head to a small bow.

Resisting the urge to slap her own face, Elsa continued to smile.

“You know, I _knew_ there was so much potential! Good old Severus can be quite intimidating, but you proved today that you are indeed more than capable of brewing potions.”

Elsa shrugged one shoulder. Without Harry's book, it would've ended quite differently.

“I guess it really depends on the teacher.” That seemed to please Slughorn greatly, so Elsa deemed her duty done for the day.

When leaving, she took a detour towards the cauldrons to take a big sniff of Amortentia again.

Maybe she could ask Slughorn for a bottle of it.

As soon as she left the classroom, the dreaded ball of fear returned to her stomach, cutting her like it was made of barbed wire. How was she supposed to get through this year, with this roller coaster of emotions?

The extra time she had before dinner was used for homework. It hadn't been an exaggeration that the NEWT classes were really demanding.

Luna and Ginny had joined her in the library, asking her every few minutes about one thing or the other. With their own OWLs this year, they had to study more, too.

About twenty minutes before dinner, Elsa went to Myrtle's bathroom.

“Would you mind asking Draco to come?” She asked the ghost girl, who saluted and vanished through the floor.

Leaning back against the wall, Elsa frowned at her reflection in one of the mirrors.

She rubbed at a crease between her eyebrows, willing the frown to go away.

It took quite some time until Draco entered the bathroom, appearing out of breath.

He made sure the door was sealed before coming up to greet Elsa with a kiss.

Not quite used to the intimacy yet, Elsa still found to enjoy it.

“Want to explain how you got into Potions?”

Elsa couldn't help but laugh, burying her face into his chest. A giddy feeling overtook her when she recognized he faintly smelled of sandalwood and bergamot.

“Let's just say I got a special task from Dumbledore. And unfortunately it has to do with dear Professor Slughorn, who seems to fancy having future queens around himself.”

Draco's face took an interesting expression at the mention of Dumbledore, but then it quickly turned to a very amused smile.

“Alright, but how did you manage to not blow anything up, like that idiot Macmillan?” He teased, cocking an eyebrow.

Elsa smirked up at him. It wasn't that far-fetched actually, and of course she could just tell him about the special help, but where would be the fun in that?

“Maybe I'm actually a genius when it comes to Potions and only played dumb all the time so you would tutor me?”

She tried to keep a straight face, which was impossible, especially when Draco laughed.

It was one of the most delighting sounds she's heard in ages.

“You must be a pretty good actress then, I never would've guessed. Smart little princess.”

“I'm not in Ravenclaw for nothing.”

He shook his head with a grin and pulled her close, burying his face in her hair.

Elsa felt him take a deep breath and relax, making her smile contently and do the same.

It was such a surreal feeling. With all the worry and fear she's felt the past weeks, this was close to heaven.

Like back in the dungeons with Amortentia, she felt calm, hoping the moment would last forever.

“I talked to Blaise.” Draco reluctantly started, arms still around her. “He assured me he wouldn't hurt you or anything.”

“What about Vo-” she cut herself off when Draco tensed, “ _Him_?”

“Blaise said he'd make attempts so nobody could rat him out, but he won't _seriously_ try. His mother advised he should just keep the pretense up, like she does.”

Elsa was wondering why he couldn't do the same. Of course it was a different matter, with being in Voldemort's inner circle.

“Did you tell him about us?”

“Not really. I mean, he probably understood the implication, but I'm not spelling it out for him, in case _He_ dives into his mind again the next time he sees him.”

She nodded, a thoughtful expression on her face. Draco's mood was drooping, so Elsa was determined to distract him. It always worked for her, after all.

“What did he say?” She smiled up at him again. “Is he mad?”

Elsa couldn't help but think about her own friends. Luna probably wouldn't mind at all. Ron and Hermione would take a while to come around. But Harry would probably throw a fit, with how he antagonized her boyfriend already.

“Are you kidding? He wanted to get us together ever since he transferred. His face practically screamed _'Took you long enough!'_ ” It made him chuckle, lightening Elsa's heart.

“It kinda did, didn't it?”

“Depends on how you look at it.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah.”

“I mean, I only realized I like you more than a friend around last Christmas. You in our fourth year, right?”

Draco's cheeks turned slightly pink, his left arm coming up to rub at the back of his neck. His typical tell for nervousness.

“Actually, I already realized it in third year.”

“... Are you serious?”

“When we had the hippogriff lesson...”

Blue eyes widened. “Huh?”

“I don't know. You just stood there, this gorgeous smile on your face, the sun making you glow... it hit me like a ton of bricks. In a good way.”

Elsa felt her own cheeks warm up. “That's indeed a pretty long time.”

“And I think I've liked you even longer. Just,” he shrugged, “that's when I really acknowledged it.”

“AAAAAAWWWW!”

Both of them jumped at Myrtle's squeal, completely having forgotten her presence.

“We should probably head to dinner...”

“Probably.”

Yet neither of them moved for a while, mutely enjoying each other's presence.

“Oh, hey,” Elsa tilted her head up, “do you think you could brew Amortentia for me?”

Draco raised a brow. “I'd have to take a look at the recipe and see if I can find all ingredients... it's pretty complicated to make. What would you need it for?”

The Ravenclaw sighed. “I just really like the scent. It calms me.”

“What does it smell like to you?” Draco gently pushed a strand of her hair back.

“Maybe we can find a simpler substitute.”

Elsa shrugged. “Burning candles are easy enough, but they don't calm me as much as the mix.”

“Candles?”

“Mhm. And pine trees.” She blushed slightly, smiling up at him. “And you.”

Draco's smile lit up his whole face. Elsa couldn't help but laugh. “What about you?”

“You know, this and that.”

Elsa pushed her lip to a pout and looked up through her lashes. “Draco...”

“Oh fuck, don't do this.” The Slytherin squeezed his eyes shut, cheeks tinged pink.

“If you'd stop teasing me I wouldn't have to resort to these measures.”

“Fine.” He shook his head with a smile. “It smells like the air after a rain storm, cinnamon rolls and...” he cleared his throat, “... whatever shampoo you use.”

“Mh. I guess we have to meet up as often as possible then.”

“Sounds good.”

* * *


End file.
